Peter, I wish I knew anyone that would throw old bucket loads of coins at me for a £1.... I used to see them on every second hand shop counter I went into, now they have big signs saying 30 coins for £30 or such like. I never have any luck like that. If you have such bucket loads let me now Peckris. The coins where in brown paper packets and tissue paper in those boxes, I feel such a fool for it now, but back then I didn't give them a second look because I had rather a naughty childhood bumping fruit machines for the pennies and half pennies in bognor that landed me with many smacked backsides ( and bannned from the arcades, but they shone and called to me and I was hooked )until I wanted nothing to do with coins. I did manage to keep a worshipfull company of foresters medal type thing from them too as it looked different to me, I also noticed it had a hallmark on it so that made me even more interested at that time, I still have it. I already have a half crown from 1959, I was just asking about it because of that SN number, I have bought only 3 coins at over the odds on the bay ( my Id is scorpin912 ) but only because of their date and not value, don't ask me why but I am trying to get a nice(ish) set of coins from that year mainly because it is my year of birth. I have another question for you all, if you do not mind. I have just emptied out a large bottle ( I mean LARGE )of coppers onto the table tonight and sorted them through. I find that I have none from around 1980 -84, was there a problem at the mints around that time, I find it weird that I would not have at least 1 or 2 coins from that period. Or is this something that is obvious to all apart from me.