Peckris

You need a copy of The English Silver Coinage (ESC). Here's a copy on eBay: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/THE-ENGLISH-SILVER-COINAGE-FROM-1649-H-A-SEABY-P-A-RAYNER-/291184542049?pt=UK_Coins_OtherBritish_RL&hash=item43cbf38161

It doesn't look obviously cleaned but you will only get a clear idea 'in hand'. As to the coin itself - it's a very typical late Republic denarius, with the winged helmeted Roma on the obverse, and quadrigatus (4-horse chariot) on the reverse along with the name of the moneyer. It's in a reasonable condition, and you paid a reasonable price. Good start! Roman is a fascinating area of collecting and many coins can be pciked up in high grade for a surprisingly modest outlay.

Even with the registration window floating, you can still scroll the article behind it and read it (not quite as clear, but still possible).

Goes off whistling, and puts on a Catherine Tate video...

Definitely wrong - that's as clear a case of normal wide date as you will ever see. The two types are very very distinctive.

I just spent a happy half hour (that's all I spent..) browsing their website. I have to say, among the highly expensive items they do have some coins for people more on a budget, even if they are the more common pieces in less than UNC. I've fired off an email to them with my wants list so they can offer me first refusal when they get such coins in.

Lurpak? I thought it was Castrol GTX night tonight? Castrol is too expensive now, besides, thats on Thursdays Ah yes, I'd forgotten - they've substituted Castrol with STP (Duckhams was also getting too expensive).

"So you're basically gonna electrocute us for an hour?" "Mm hmm." OED : electrocution (n.), from ELECTRICITY + EXECUTION ... This is something you can survive??? Got news for you guys - electrocution means DEATH!!

It does look like a coating that's 'crazed' - but the coin as a whole doesn't seem to be lacquered, at least from the photos. Could it be something akin to a fingerprint, i.e. something which itself is 'crazing' which has come into contact with the crown and transferred across in the form of grease or staining? I guess you could only finally tell by seeing the coin in hand.

Lurpak? I thought it was Castrol GTX night tonight?

But they do! Mine seem to favour Steely Dan (which I enjoy) or Iron Maiden (I turn them off and endure the cold).

What really ticks me off is CGS's grade. 55? They must be joking. It's virtually as struck, and Lockdales' grading as GEF seems about right. Yes, it looks like it's Maximinus, especially judging from the portrait. He's corrected the CGS error in his description.

Co-codamol is the best thing I've found for pain, if you don't mind a bit of constipation and going ever so slightly doolally. It does work though...

Nice background too for this fine polished piece of antique silver! Bit of a shame really, considering the auctions are raising money for charity.

The last glass of red wine was at Xmas. My weakness is rare breed liver/oily fish. It is also down to dehydration. I'm drinking a vast quantity of water and eating cherries. It is getting better.

Yes, I do - but only VF. In all my search through dealer trays etc, I never saw another one. I do remember meeting Paul Wincott in Warwick years ago, who triumphantly showed me 3 BU examples - he'd just bought them privately, paying £60 apiece which was over the then Spink book price, claiming he could get £200 each for them without any difficulty.

Yes - though it's highly derivative of Pistrucci, nevertheless it's a classy design, far superior IMO to the 1935. Aren't all St. George depictions highly derivative? This one is not even close to a rip-off of Pistrucci -- which, for the record, Pistrucci's work was a derivative of intaglio works he saw in Italy; he has been accused (with quite damning evidence) of having ripped off most of his St. George design himself. I didn't say a 'rip off', I said 'derivative', which is unarguable when you consider that the design IS actually very close in concept and elements and pose, though not I agree in actual executed detail.

Spink don't have a clue on some things. The 1921 shilling with the first obverse, is much rarer than the price differential with the normal type listed in the Standard Catalogue.

REALLY like that one Damian! This St George is based on a Mansfeld thaler of 1521. Wow, Mansfield was issuing its own talers in 1521?

Not guilty

My opinion is that it would be quite a surprising fake considering 1) it's not a major rarity and 2) the condition is not too special. But who knows, these days? If Chinese, neither 1) nor 2) applies.

Yes - though it's highly derivative of Pistrucci, nevertheless it's a classy design, far superior IMO to the 1935.

"You buy one you get one free I said you BUY one you get one free..."

Personally, I think the piece would have been more desirable with even a faint trace of the underlying design still visible. As it is, as Paulus says, it's just an engraved silver disc. How do they know it's GIII anyway?? (ETA: ah, the edge collar inscription is still there?)

Bletchley Park say if you hand it in within 7 days, there'll be no further action.