DaveG38

Many years ago, when I had a local dealer to go and chat to over the lunch break, I recall talking to him about cleaning coins and he told me about a seller who knew nothing about coins, but had brought in a very nice and expensive collection of early milled in good grades. The dealer agreed a price and the punter brought the coins back a day or so later to seal the deal. Unfortunately, in the meantime, the seller thought that the dealer would like the coins to look a bit better, so he cleaned them up with silver polish so they were 'nice and bright and shiney'. Much to his horror the dealer told him he didn't want them, but was prepared to offer 10% of the agreed price for them. Exit one very crestfallen seller. Moral - don't do anything to a coin unless you know what you are doing, and certainly not before selling them!

Woke up this morning with a slightly swollen knee and painful calf. Thought to myself that I'd better check for a clot. Rang surgery for appointment. Receptionist found me one in just 10 minutes. Drove like a bat out of hell to the health centre. Waited 5 minutes to see the doc. Quick examination and told not to worry, it's just some fluid retention, take ibuprofen and a bit more exercise. Back home 10 minutes later, relieved and back to normal. How could the service from the NHS be any better? And this kind of service is typical of what I see where I live. In my view too many people have a negative view of the NHS because the media hype up the slightest problem into a full blown crisis, when in reality the vast majority of patienst have a very positive experience from their doctor/health cntre..

Clearly, there are more people wanting one of these than there are examples cheaply available, and so the price is being driven up until the coin finds its level. i.e what people are prepared to pay. My guess is that people are also looking at this general increase and, like sheep, are sniffing out an 'investment' and so they are driving the price up further still. Probably they have the idea that values will continue to rise into the future, so they need to buy now before they are left behind. Whatever the truth, it will likely all end in tears, except for those who are astute enough sell on a high.

Currently the going rate (selling price) seems to be around £65-70. As for why, Azda's comment seems apposite.

We need a pic of the obverse. Fakes are usually much easier to spot when looking at the Queen's head. As has been said there is a lack of clarity of the effigy with fakes. Usually obvious when you see it.

Here's a simple question. Can hypo, which is Sodium Thiosulphate and thus interacts with copper to produce Copper Sulphide, be used to re-tone cleaned coins quickly?

It depends on how 'about' is AEF. I'd have said it's GVF, but that's not much of a stretch to AEF if you are a bit loose on the definition of 'about.' For me there's some wear in the hair and on the shoulder that takes it down to GVF, but that's just my view. The photos are a bit poor to be more specific. Even so, it appears to be a nice coin.

Of course, since FDC means 'f*cking Dreadful Condition'.

I've always maintained a collection of 3d's. I've never really bothered over much about them, but as part of my upgrade drive, I've been improving my examples as far as I can. I've also dived into the 1820's specimens as well as gap filling in the earlier years. I'm not sure why I have never given much thought to them, but I'm on the task now, as I think they deserve to be better represented in my collection. The latest Colin Cooke list just pushed me into a splurge - now there's an old-fashioned term!

Indeed, I've just a bagged a nice group of Victorian, Georgian etc threepences which will be a decent upgrade for my existing ones.

For that price, I'd expect it delivered in person by helicopter, and even then it would be too expensive.

Brian, Based on what you have done (great stuff by the way) could you take my original list of variants and amend it in say red or blue for the changes/additions and then re-publish on here? That way we can see what's new. As has been said, its difficult to follow exactly what's going on without a simple chart/list to compare against.

Anybody know anything about coin cases? I've just bought a 1887 7 coin silver Specimen Set in a case. The coins are all a uniform dark tone with very reflective fields - but they are not proofs. Grade is basically EF-GEF for each of the 7 coins, so a very nice little group, which based on the uniformity of the toning has been together a long time. The interesting thing is that the case looks like it has some kind of animal skin covering. Its a bit lizard like and is a grey/beige colour with Victoria Jubilee Specimen Set in gold lettering on it. I wondered if this covering is shagreen and if so can enybody help with any information about who made these cases and put the sets together.

What do you expect? He's a Labour Peer. Lining one's pockets seems to be a speciality of Labour politicians, whilst at the same time bemoaning the fate of the poor..

He told me he was going away as well. This was at the time he was messing me about. 'Goes away' a lot doesn't he - irony alert!

You are quite correct. Twas I whom he refused to sell it to. Since I was the only bidder up to £900 or so, I'd be surprised if he gets anywhere near £2k. For that money I can get any number of very decent coins.

Should also have suggested that you try your luck on eBay and let the coins find their price.

Assuming they are general circulated coins, not a great deal. Yes one of the two types is scarcer than the other, but collectors of decimal coins are usually only interested in high grade coins or varieties. In many cases, they won't even be aware that there are two varieties for this date/denomination. Plus, of course collectors of decimal are not usually expecting to pay big money for their coins, since most can be obtained from change as they are issued. My guess is maybe £5 the pair, if somebody out there wants the scarcer type.

For a completist, the greatest moments come when a long standing gap is filled. Oh, the joy when I found a 1854 sixpence and that annoying gap closed. Ditto the 1841 halfcrown. Once filled, for me, the interest does wane rather, and the coins become a 'given' even though they get handled and looked at whenever possible.

I'm the older generation, but since I didn't like the original, I don't really have a view about this version.

And it will cost the purchaser £4.15 for delivery by courier, unless he/she lives in Scotland (or presumably anywhere else even slightly remote).

Possibly that as well, although they do currently have a product that includes an over-hyped price for a worn 1940s sixpence. It comes in flashy packaging too, so they aren't above selling on worn old tat!

The cynic in me says that the RM wants them back so that in due course they can then sell them themselves in a nice flashy card wallet and for a highly inflated price.

Both types are mentioned in the 2016 Spink catalogue, although curiously, the circulation issue of the 2015, new bust type, doesn't warrant an entry..

Interesting that back in June these were going for around £18, but have since jumped to around the £33-35 mark. Publicity I imagine?