Emperor Oli

Research

Sounds about right! ^^^

Go to Affleck's Palace and find out what colour it really is!

Well look, not all people are coin aficionados (like us!). I mean, if I wanted to sell say a pocketwatch, I would have no idea where to start. Granted, it was quite thin but what does one expect from an amateur? However if you get lots of them each day, you must get quite irate but don't pass them by; there could be a Una & the Lion just around the corner!

Don't we all! Oooh wait - maybe they still have the original dies? Gothic florins for all!!!!

Sorry to dampen the enthusiasm (!) but I think they'd attempt to recreate the classics and fail.....miserably. IMHO nowadays, the engravers seem to rely more and more on colour and holograms on coins which overshadows the engraving. I don't think they would be a patch on the originals

Have you seen the so-called "official" patterns? Not a patch on ours - even IRB's portrait!

I hope that's what happens!

How old was your friend? He doesn't seemed very well informed - has he even heard of the Chancellor's tests? Where did he get this ten years from it seems such an arbitrary number. Grrr. However good ol' Tone may just decide to bypass the public and sign up for the Ewwwwro to please his Euro buddies whilst keeping Bush close at hand. Ahh the machinations of politics

Over my stinking bloated rotten corpse

Blair should be called BLIAR!

Good luck with them anyway - the discerning (i.e. filthy rich) collector should get those bought soon!

It would be nice if they could affix concrete mintages for them and then grade the rarity accurately but alas, they haven't!

Never heard of a rarity scale but I notice you're discussing this on Conipeople! I would also be interested to know - perhaps they should publish it in Spink's?

*Shudders at the thought of a unified European state*

Have you had much interest in them, Chris?

That should be your epitaph!

Right. And if old Queenie dies soon we'll (probably) have Charles' mug on them!

I was thinking that as I typed but then I'd gone too far so just posted it anyway! Are there any other "big" anniversaries coming up that would merit a change in the sovereign reverse?

Lol I doubt they were mocking them!

Nice and subtle there Geoff! The Shield back was a delightful change from the monotonous Pistrucci image but I also liked the Sovereign anniversary (500yrs?) ones that they minted with the huge rose - quite unexpected

Of course. That annoying little fellow, Michael Winner, did an article on wine. It was the time when a woman was outraged that the restaurant had charged her £800 for a bottle of wine on her anniversary meal or something like that. But oh no Michael Winner asked why she was complaining. He didn't seem to think it odd that she was charged £800 for a bottle. It's probably because he spends all his time in the rich bubble that he doesn't realise how much £800 is to an ordinary person.

Yeah when I said "Normal" I meant Proof

One of the reasons I didn't buy the 2003 one was the truly revolting packaging it's in (I suppose if one took it out then it would be ok). The marketers should be stoned

I am a prophet, I make big profits! Mwahaha. Touche, however if it's an upper-class restuarant with wine at £500 per bottle then I'm sure you can see the attraction!