numismatist

Thanks, all very useful info. Regret I'm a computer novice, though had one for about 10 years, but very very slowly learning new tricks !!

Thanks I will check out Coin archives, not seen that before. Just tried Spinks again (with my client number) but it all froze up on me and I had to pull the power on my computer and restart because there was no way of closing down the Spink website or doing anything with it.

Good idea that, worth sending link to MCOL website before actually proceeding, ive been having a good look at that , suppose worst thing is if they dont pay up, things look like they get more complicated.

Many thanks all, will give some serious thought to having a go in the small claims on line Court . Its not the money that matters but the thought that some people get away with this time after time and never get brought to book.

Thanks " Azda " there no doubt its the same person, but it would have been nice if it had shown up on his Ebay feedback that bought it from China , and I cannot see any other likely fakes on his Ebay Feedback, so it could be he got caught out and sold it quick on Ebay when he found out . I will not give his Ebay name yet as I've just written to the Police in his area (Preston Lancs)as someone has said they often do check out the person , but only seem to act if they have a criminal record as I suppose that makes it easier ?. I've added the actual Coin photo, that I posted quite a while back. It has tell tale < marks coming from King George's mouth and the missing tops to the letters in GEORGIVS especially the second " G " thats normally pretty well intact on genuine 1763 Shllings.

very pleasing coin for James II , i like it !!

Best repair I've seen to a " holed " Coin. It would be nice to know the cost and time scale to get it done.

What I meant to say was that the Irish seller has TWO of S1762B for sale Ebay 150909566701 and 150907147615 ...so with the french one thats THREE on Ebay at the same time

I know very little about the present day BNTA and know few of its members, but many listed as BNTA Members have shocking grading standards . I was supposed to be a founder member of the BNTA after being encouraged by Spinks and Seabys but at the time myself and several others refused to carry on because of the influx of what we perceived to be the criminal fringe of dealers, who were setting themselves up to infiltrate it and take over the running of it. At the time we all thought it was just a front to give respectability to their shady dealings. Many of those will be long gone now, but I wonder if much has changed since then ??

I think some prices are "on the wane" The Last DNW Sale had just over 11% unsold and some other prices seemed to be down. Cromwell Halfcrown and Shilling both were unsold, three Philip and Mary Shillings in a row were all unsold as was another P&M Shilling later in the catalogue. These all very popular coins.Three decent looking james 1 Unites reached £1350, £1350 and £980. Ivs seen similar for £2000 on Ebay,and Five Guineas of William and Mary £4100 and Anne £3900 seem down a bit. There were seven William and Mary Halfcrowns and four failed to sell. This was the sale just before Coinex , where many Dealers used to stock up ready for the Fair. So nothing to write home about for the sellers, though the Auctioneers got their cut as always.

The seller "Rob" mentions has two of Spink S1762B on Ebay ..perhaps he's found an Hoard ?

Very sad to see Michael died on 9th August . All those who collect Charles 1st Coins will greatly miss all his input on the subject.

Well spotted "Coinery" I see continental.coin ( the present seller ) was the buyer at just under £50.00, and now its slabbed its gone to over £300.00.

Nice its got that gouge on the crown, it would be nice if every fake had such a prominent mark to identify it. Only good thing is that its so expensive, (I think 5 times its value even if it was genuine ) that hopefully the seller wont be able to find a mug to buy it.

Glad someone else agrees, I always used the Spink Archive a lot , but now its pitiful. Even when you find some items that do show up on a search, there can be just one when you know they have auctioned 100's and when you do find something there is no date given as to when the auction was , so in spite of all the blurb they give about the "new" website , its next to useless, sad to say .I must give up wasting my time as I can never get anywhere with it, and the photo quality is now the worst of any of the large Auction houses, whereas it used to be the best. So poor in many cases its just too risky to leave a bid as you just cannot judge the finer points of a Coins condition.

I've got two 1936 Pennies to hand..Assume both are the "long" type ?

Spinks latest Coin auction Catalogue now out. What do members think of the clarity, and ease of finding coins especially archived lots on the new website. To me it seems to be just a shadow of what it used to be. Am I right in feeling this ?

It was " Heaven on Earth " The thing with Baldwins was they were "very" old school and it was really hard to gain acceptance with them, so most dealers of the time never went back after the first encounter , so never knew what Baldwins had. Seabys and Spink were differant. Seabys were being cleaned out of stock and could not replace it and more was being stolen than anyone ever knew , so were brought to their knees and later faded away. Spink were more pro-active selling and buying , and would pay the latest prices to keep up a good stock, whilst Seabys were hoping to replace their rapidly depleted stock at what they had been used to paying in the past and they just could not do it in the new coin collecting climate with the massive increases in prices that happened in weeks if not in less time. I think Baldwins must have have vast reserves of stock and being far less known that the other old time dealers and they always seemed to have an incredible selection of coins still on tap. Of course London then was flooded with coin dealers in every street it seemed. You needed days to get round them all, but now its very hard to find enough dealers to make it worthwhile travelling to London. Michael Sharp certainly lived through the best days of coin collecting and must have met all the respected and knowledgable collectors of the day who were building up their vast collections in the days of plenty and who were lucky enough to have the money to do it.

By 1997 Michael had completed 25 years at Baldwins, as according to his obituary he had joined Baldwins 1st March 1972 . I first met him soon after he had joined them . At that time I had been " allowed in " to sit at the tables , but before that you stood at an hatch and was allowed just see the odd things. Once allowed in to the inner sanctum it was trays of Five Guinea pieces at £300 to £600 (for mint ones) Byzantine Gold by the hundreds at £30 to £50 at time. Cabinets full of Anglo Saxon and Norman pennies which I didnt know what I was looking at !! Then by about the mid 1970's after always spending every penny I could,and visiting every week, I was allowed "take aways". Handfulls of superb hammered rarities and every time I could, I would walk across London from Adelphi Terrace to Spinks in King Street and offer them the Patrick Finn who used to get a bit worried were they were all coming from. Mostly Patrick would buy a good handful and I would return to Baldwins with the unsold ones and the monies due. They were the glory days indeed, and Michael was always so helpful and kind , and normally a good discount was on hand. He will certainly never be forgotten by those who had the fortune to meet him.

Thanks Debbie and Tom , amazing you found that Auction, interestrd to see what it makes, appreciated your help

Two of these. I took Photos, the appear uncirculated. On in --looks like Nickle--other Copper 20 mm dia any ideas what there were meant for..maybe germanic ? (mark)does the portrait (who is it ? ) give any clues

Thanks " Rob " the Farthing is same as the top Photo..grained in a deep grove, so currency and not proof. Thanks for the Peck numbers, appreciate it ...

Came across this in a box full of Proofs and Patterns, but only 3 british coins present. Most were India, Hong Kong , etc. Many were Bronzed or Bronzed and a few Mules. I think Soho mint productions, but half were from the Victorian era , so Heaton products I think ? Some were Medallions which related to Boulton and Watt ( in memory ) I looked in my old ESC, and I think perhaps ESC 206 ? though thats listed a Copper Any ideas were much appreciated...thanks in advance

Thanks all for the input, I dont think I had heard of Taylor. Just done a quick google search and I see W J Taylor goes back to 1848 and got hold of the old Soho Mint dies so his restrikes go back over 150 years , so I see what "Rob" means by complications. I came across also the "Copper Corner" and see they seem to have a vast amount of Coins direct from the Boulton Family . Anyone know when the Boultons sold their Collection .? I think the small Collection I saw dates back to circa 1900 and is believed to have been given to a retiring mint worker. So the possibilities are truely endless ,thanks to "Rob" for opening up the floodgates into all this.