Peckris

Meow http://www.i-love-cats.com/software/Adorable-Cats-Screensaver.jpg

Sorry, was that a reply to me Sion, or haven't you found time yet to read through my War & Peace of advice? Yes, I did use your advice and it was very useful. I have a nice layout already very similar to yours (although a bit extra because of World coins). I originally imported the data by loading it up as a linked table which is the easiest method but then decided I really liked Access, and unlinked it by copy and pasting the linked table to make a linked table (which is a shortcut) and a copy of the linked table which is an actual access table. I do have a lot of experience with both Excel and Access but I was wondering if one was better for coin specific needs and which one you lot used. I also have a coin ID which I also use instead of tickets with information on as I have 3 memory sticks loaded individually with my coin database in little pouches in the front of my folders (I'm a bit forgetful so if I broke my computer I would have a backup but I couldn't trust myself just to have one backup so I had 3!). I was also thinking about buying a barcode scanner and printer (relatively cheap these days, also compatible with database programs such as Access and Excel) and using the USB barcode scanner and barcodes as digital tickets so one beep could find the info on one coin... a project for a wet weekend perhaps! I think you've already got to the answer - a database manager like Access is much more expandable and flexible than a spreadsheet, as you can treat each main table as an 'app' (with maybe scripts or 'mini apps' within it); however in the future you could then come up with a need for another app that requires creating a whole new table (such as my Seaby values table) that links relationally to tables/apps you already have. Good luck with the barcode project - that's one technology too far for me!

You only disagree strongly Peckris, because you haven't grasped the principle of bases other than 10 and don't understand the maths: In base 12, advancing in units of 12 gives you 10, 20, 30, 40... Advancing in units of 6 gives you 6, 10, 16, 20, 26, 30.... What could be simpler? Check the Wikipedia link above to help you out. Don't patronise me Accumulator. I was taught base 12 at school along with everyone else of my generation, plus I've done computing professionally and understand binary and hexadecimal. I suggest you go back and read what I said. Then go off to bed. Ok, if you understand base 12, please explain your statement that "there's no quick way of advancing in units of 12, or even half units of 6. Yet counting up in 5s or 10s, or multiplying, is simplicity itself"? Now you're just being pedantic. We were talking about £sd versus decimal currency if you can be bothered to read back that far.

Hahaha - brilliant! Harry and Ronnie should be awarded a medal for not corpsing completely when they started talking about dongles

Hm, now this is where I have a real difficulty. Since upgrading to OS X Leopard, I lost Photoshop (in itself a minor disaster) which means I also lost the use of my scanner which used Photoshop as an importer. I've never yet used my camera to take coin photies, but perhaps this is a good time to start? Though I'm afraid my early efforts will prove none too wonderful.

Wow, just read your reply. Remind me not to cross you, Chris (he deserved a ticking off though...)

That's very true. They can indeed.

ROFL. I remember all those ManU supporters phoning in from Ascot two years ago when they beat Liverpool to the title .. "Oh, but 4 points is 4 points" they said, "Not that close". Actually those 4 points were a few seconds ("Fergie time" being added in the Aston Villa home game when Macheda scored a winning goal) + a few millimetres (Liverpool hit the woodwork FIVE times in one of their 0-0 home draws.) Sorry, my prejudices are showing!

You only disagree strongly Peckris, because you haven't grasped the principle of bases other than 10 and don't understand the maths: In base 12, advancing in units of 12 gives you 10, 20, 30, 40... Advancing in units of 6 gives you 6, 10, 16, 20, 26, 30.... What could be simpler? Check the Wikipedia link above to help you out. Don't patronise me Accumulator. I was taught base 12 at school along with everyone else of my generation, plus I've done computing professionally and understand binary and hexadecimal. I suggest you go back and read what I said. Then go off to bed.

Damn right. I know I've said it before, but at a provincial auction I was sent a £17 cheque for lots which had realised £30. Whatever you say about eBay, they aren't anywhere near that bad.

Hi Dagz - your avatar is my second favourite £1 reverse (after the Welsh dragon)

Pre Elizabeth II? I understood it was some point in the 19th Century that they changed this practice? The silver hyper-inflation was 1980-81 when the Bunker Hunt family in the States tried to corner the silver market (and failed). I vividly remember that (in Coin Monthly) the values listed for BU George VI florins went from £2 in one issue, to £12 the next time they featured florins. Of course, it didn't last. And then there's the discovery of large quantities of certain coins well after the issue : one issue of Anne shillings, 1697 late issue sixpences, Maxentius follis (dug up!), 1912H BU pennies ...

Except for micro-fibre cloths - they clean glass without any scratching whatever, so will be safe for coins. But of course, not to be used with cleaning or polishing fluids!!

Yes, indeed. That's an In Memoriam medallion for Geo IV, I'm not an expert in these, and don't know how rare those particular issues are. I'm guessing not rare, as the 19th Century was a high-water mark for commemorative medallions. What sort of size is it? (Yes, a picture would be useful).

Sorry, was that a reply to me Sion, or haven't you found time yet to read through my War & Peace of advice?

Reminds me of the old Benny Hill sketch of an Englishman going into a German/Dutch grocer's store which went something like this; 'FUNEX?' 'SVFX' 'FUNEM?' 'SVFM' I think you really needed to be there. Gah, It was The Two Ronnies doing a sketch set in Sweden with "subtitles". I think the next line went O.K. M.N.X.N.T.4.1

I disagree strongly. In base 12, there's no quick way of advancing in units of 12, or even half units of 6. Yet counting up in 5s or 10s, or multiplying, is simplicity itself. Division isn't the only way people count!

There are at least two silver versions of this which are worth more (though not a fortune lol). One is 50% silver, the other is sterling silver. Then there are proof versions too, which are worth three to four times what the ordinary one is worth.

I've got experience of Filemaker Pro, which is a similar type of app. The first and best advice I can give you is this : PLAN YOUR DATABASE in advance! This means : 1. Work out how many different tables (files) you need : for example, now I don't deal anymore, I use three - one for the coins themselves, another for the pictures, and a third for all the Spink prices in various grades going back years (you may not want or need all those) 2. Work out the relationship(s) between the different tables : for example I have a unique Coin ID that links to its picture and its list of prices; that ID is defined as a field in all tables Setting up and defining your database : 3. In your main table (which will be the coins themselves) define a master layout with all fields you want : DENOMINATION / DATE / VARIETY / DATE PURCHASED / AMOUNT PAID / CURRENT VALUE / CONDITION / WHERE PURCHASED / COMMENTS will probably be a minimum, but don't worry : database managers like Access allow you to add, delete, or change field definitions over time. So too with layouts; you can add more as you need them. I have about twenty! 4. Once you have tables and relationships and fields all defined, you're ready to go! You will need to input your data, though if you already have Excel it will comparatively easy - Access will have an Import dialogue where you define the Excel spreadsheet you want to import and how you want to map Excel fields to Access fields. Then Access will do it for you. That's a start. It sounds daunting, but if you've worked a lot with spreadsheets, it isn't really. Think of a database as a spreadsheet made of putty that can be pummelled and shaped into the configurations you want. Good luck!

I think that it certainly would have made more sense if Britain had gone Decimimal when it was first proposed. It makes a lot more sense and certainly is easier to count and work out money using a Decimal System. I think as you say, it comes down to fear of change and 'The Unknown.' I imagine that many people then, as they are still today, would have been 'Set in their ways' and the proposition of change would have horrified them. Much as it did for many people when Britain finally did go Decimal in 1971. I can also imagine that the Florin would have been an unpopular coin when it was first introduced due to the fact that it was also intended to replace the very popular Half Crown. A similar thing happend with the proposition to do away with the Sixpence, there was much Public outcry due to its popularity and it remained with us until 1980. The 50p Coin was also very unpopular with certain members of the Public when it was introduced. Some even called for it to be withdrawn. I guess that even though the years pass us by, some things never change. lol And yet ... such conservatism in the face of the utter radical changes the coinage has seen : - the introduction of milled coinage - the Great Recoinage of William III and the withdrawal of all hammered - the introduction of tokens due to the small change crisis - the mechanisation of Boulton - the Recoinage of 1816 - the change to bronze - the new 50% silver alloy - the removal of silver altogether - the sporadic appearance (and sometimes disappearance) of denoms - BoE dollars, 1s 6d tokens, florins, double florins, etc.. To fight against sensible decimalisation after all those changes, seems downright perverse.

How did they manage to do that? lol You're very welcome Rob As for the Spink 'bollox up', the "nose to S" is what they've listed for the deep-cut portrait; it's not, it's the shallow portrait. Plus, their price differential for the two types of 1921 shilling is ridiculous - the deep-cut portrait is RARE (only discovered long after decimlaisation); even with a small market for them, the differential should be much greater.

And just as a bonus, here is the document I sent to Spink for them to use (or rather, bollox up!)

The easiest way - by far - is to line up a pre-1920 and post-1921 shilling side by side and examine them. But briefly : the deeply engraved portrait has a higher and bolder rim; it's slightly concave, dishing upwards towards the rim; the gap between legend and rim is only about half the distance; the higher modelling of the portrait makes it look a little smaller; the hair detail on EF and above is much better cut; George's nose doesn't point directly to the S as it does on the Shallow portrait. Please note, this only applies to 1920 and 1921 (rare) shillings, where there are two types. If you get a shilling dated between 1922 and 1926 (pre-ME) then they are all shallow recut portrait.