numismatist

Photo 3 the DNW 15K Broad

Thanks everyone, it really seems best to forget selling in the UK and head the NGC / Heritage way (Though I always say I hate slabs thats where the top prices seem to be , so my mind is changing fast, as slabs seem to be the ONLY way to sell in the US at top dollar)

Must say I've tried to get advise on a suitable auction and selling costs for some rare Foreign Coins and got pretty well nowhere...Baldwins just answered very evasively saying " you must bring them in " and avoided all mention of the two rarest ones which I am very sure would fetch 5K and 3K plus in their auctions. Spinks normally just ignor completely any emails and photos sent. Has anyone got good advice from any other Auction Houses in the UK or the US ones. I know Stacks Ponterio got well over 5K UK pounds for one of my Coins (mines far better)and all I have would do well with them or Heritage I'm sure , but has anyone got experience of the logistics of sending to the US, and if there is import taxes etc if sent to the US for Auction ? thanks

Thanks Nicholas, Ive sent PM...I wondered about the dreaded slabs...Most Coins Ive seen fetching top prices in the US Auctions have been slabbed and with very fanciful grading (By UK proper standards) and their UNCs can have quite a bit of wear and knocks and scratches etc and normally no mention is made of obvious faults.

Tried www.sjauctions.com, which is supposed to be St James Auctions, but you get " Steve and Jody " I seem to remember something like this happened to DNW once when I tried it.

Just got to the site, and its absolutely useless, many months out of date and a waste of time, all links on it are out of date. I thought the Buyers wallet snatch price they all charge was for a service to the buyer , but instead they all double (at least ) the cost of posting anything, give just about no guarantee, and no help to the buyer and even less to the seller .

Thanks "HC" my silly mistake !!! whoops

and the Obverse (couldn't get size within the accepted limits)

I ways struggle with these late non frosted proofs. The Reverse would surely pass for a currency coin ? I just found this Florin, which if 1927 dated would not be questioned to be a Proof, but it seems a much better striking that I normally find of this period.

Spinks have destroyed their Website,and their search facility ,and their photos are rubbish. I used to find their photo quality to be the best there was. Now its pretty well the worst, and I find I just cannot judge the true grade enough to be able to risk a strong bid .

Before buying the Gothic Crown look at the Edge Lettering If its same as the top lettering in the photos, it MAYBE Genuine If its like the bottom lettering its CERTAIN its a FAKE !!

I have photos stored on Photobucket, large sized and always just clicked on them and pulled them across onto Ebay when I put a Coin up for sale. Now you search to find your Album on Photobucket and everthing is very small with the bottoms cut off of every photo Can anyone work it out ?? Thanks

Unites especially seem to be well below half the price shown in the large London Auctions. I would think the one shown is worth under £1000.00 being mounted, polished and likely gilt as well. The Laurel has a washed out look, and you should be able to find a superb one for far less than the price shown.

Thanks Bill, nice to read all your input on this subject. Ive seen a video where NGC shows their slabbing process and it would seem contamination can easily get inside. As regards the various Coin Slabbing Company Guarantees I wonder if these are "watertight" with an independant Insurers warranty as over the years many Limited Companies close down, change hands, or go under so unless a lifetime independant Insurance Policy is in effect its unlikely any Guarantee can be relied on long term ? Its nice if CGS grading is very consistant, as with others grading companies I see their Coins when they turn up in the Large London Auctions rarely get graded anywhere near to the grade on the capsule and seeing that even the major auctions are very often overgraded it makes some encapsulated grades serious out on an acceptable UK grading standard . In fact I would say MOST Large Auctioneers and MOST large dealers, many being BNTA members seriously overgrade these days.

Very interesting discussion, I am totally against encapsulation but do accept that other Collectors are all for it. The points made about the dreaded Verdigris made me wonder if the slabbing process can actually introduce it ?. From what I see coins are handled with bare hands, graders can cough and splutter all over the Coins they are slabbing (They are bound get have coughs and colds at times ) and whatever moisture there may be on a coin is sealed in the slab with it as it seems the slab must contain whatever air there is in the room at the time.When Coins are kept in a Cabinet they can breath and dry out if there is any minute damp introduced. Am I right in thininking slabbed Coins are never vacuum sealed.

A truly crazy price. The nice one shown fetched about £300.00 in Heritage who always appear to get massive prices and the second one again in Heritage slabbed EF40 fetched about £100.00 . (Both sales where a while back though)

Blurred Photos fetch top prices judging by the few other coins hes sold people pay out hundreds with little idea of condition, but hes had a few good comments. Looks like thats the way forward, I must adjust my camera to small and blur in future , and reap the rewards !!

Thanks to all for all the advice given

Just wondered ? as the Police, and Trading Standards try and define every crime they can as a " Civil matter " Ive just found seller of my £310.00 Chinese 1763 Northumberland Shilling , who vanished off Ebay for a year as soon as I found out it was a fake, but has now just started selling again and by making a cheap purchase in another name, Ive got his full details, but all I get is threats after I wrote saying please refund or I will take the matter to Court saying " My Solicitor and I will see you in Court and sue you for Slander Ive never sold a fake ever " I cannot find out if hes sold other fakes, and he's over 100 miles away, and it looks like I could end up having to go to his Court as he's not registered as a Trader. Anyone know what the chance of winning is ?

Yes Spink new Web site is Pitiful, and ive emailed and phoned several times, emails ignored ,they never got back to any phone call. Leaving bids is now a complete mess and you cannot see what you bid as its so faint, and after you have bid you cannot find your bids. Also the Photos are now very poor and low grade so much so that they are just not good enough to really tell the proper grade by. In the past their Photo Archive was superb with very high quality photos. Also if you do have the luck to find archived lots with prices realised with a specific item search, there is no sold date given so you dont know if the price was 10 days ago or 10 years ago .This must have now gone on for over six months and they dont seem to care a damn !

Auctions are a good place, when the likes Spink or DNW etc sell a good collection the Collectors Cabinets are normally sold as well, as is his reference books etc and some prices I see them fetch are real bargains, but you need to collect them really, so where you live can impact on the viability.

Thats very nice to hear. I started out in 1968, and pretty certain he was around about that time. I knew him quite well then, as in those days he stood at many of the multitude of Coin Fairs that covered the whole country. Dont think I've seen him since the 1980's , but he was always part and parcel of the Coin World. Great to hear he's slowly getting back into the fold.

and heres the Reverse of my Fake ( now refunded )

Hello all ...HAPPY ending....At first I got threats of Slander and heavy Court Costs. But I sent in my Money Claims Online Claim Form with my £35.00 Fee. He got the Claim on Saturday , sent email Sunday and money arrived by Postal Orders £350.00 that included the Court Fee today (wed) so a good result after 2 years, because I could not locate him and Ebay Legal Dept refused to give his details..I kind of think he bought it believing it was Genuine, so I wont give his name, but he claims it came from Ebay Seller---- ----xxxcoinsxxx--- I think Staffordshire area, and ----xxxcoinsxxx------ shows up on the " Give a buck Editorial " thats shows photos of many Fake 1763 Shillings he has seen Attached Photos of my FAKE in case it surfaces again..thanks for all the advice Reverse on Next Page..........as to many K...........

Now that the Spink search engine appears to have died and DNW have lost most of their archived photos I find that " mcsearch " is the best . Just Google and search their site and you find great results. I think its the best ? or at least the best I've ever found. Just tried " 1554 Shilling " and there are masses of Photos . Not many Collectors have heard of it. Well worth a good look..