Paulus

Paulus that is whizzed,cleaned,dipped. Certainly looks like it, maybe that's another reason it didn't sell!!!

I agree. Coin 1 looks better. Out of interest, how would you grade coin 1, did I do ok for £180? I personally would rate it VF+, especially the reverse. And yes, I think you did absolutely ok for £180. Those aren't rare, but all early milled has increased substantially the last 10-15 years, and it makes a good type coin. Thanks, this makes me feel quite a bit better about things. Very interesting looking at that link Pualus, particularly being quite new to this level of collecting, all about the eye detail it seems. In this case the eye detail and the eye appeal! I haven't upgraded yet, I will bide my time

You may be interested in these members' opinions on the Lima Half Crowns I was considering very recently, wanting to upgrade my current VF to EF: http://www.predecimal.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7610

I haven't sold at Auction yet (but am planning to), I understood that a big difference between the traditional Auctions and eBay was the Buyers' Premium that most (all?) Auction Houses charge, whereas eBay charge zero to buyers. Can people confirm that that is still the norm, to my mind it means that to 'break even' on a coin you are selling at auction the buyer must be willing to pay around 40% more than you did?? Or have I got it massively wrong (Croydon Auctions and eBay aside)?

Moving away from Dave's arse for a second (not quite sure how that started!), this guy has had some high grade coins for sale today, some of which received no bids at all. This might be in part down to his 'Item condition' statement ("used with wear") which is at variance with his item description ("probably unc")! Here's an example: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1887-QUEEN-VICTORIA-HALF-CROWN-2-6d-SILVER-925-COIN-0300-/230918677651?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT&autorefresh=true&nma=true&si=lwoW94bIzNFaHgBs%252BW1cUSuae4I%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc although his starting price in this case was way too high I have also made mistakes in my eBay listings (assuming this was a mistake) listing a 'similar item' and failing to change all the description fields from the previous ones, then finding I can't correct my error after a bid has been placed ... has anyone come a major cropper in the same scenario?

Yes, my mistake Dave, it is advertised at EF+/GEF

Very very nice! S/T worth 30% more in that grade (according to Spink), so nice touch! What grade did they give it?

Got a catalog through the door from Colin Cooke today, they are selling a very high grade 1905 HC for, wait for it, £5,500!!!! I know that's what the price guides would indicate, but wow, guess I had never seen one for sale before!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251210589130?ru=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_from%3DR40%26_sacat%3D0%26_nkw%3D251210589130%26_rdc%3D1 Indeed so!

http://www.coincommunity.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=132507

I wish somebody would buy me 'unwanted' gifts like that. Indeed, it would have cost a pretty penny if genuine, really is a strange one, I shall look out for feedback!

Any radio, TV or internet content with adverts for me, although ours are probably the most tolerable anywhere in the world

Hope you have enjoyable days and nice presents!

Let's see -- an 1893-S encapsulated silver dollar with a CC mintmark on the reverse with multiple examples available from mainland China. I wonder how much it is really worth I sold a CC dollar today at a bit above melt given the mint. It was dire, but numismatically far more collectable than the Chinese version. These types are ok because they are obvious,however it is the dealers or odrinary people who are buying them bringing them into the common market,and they are then sold as genuine,so slowly filter into collecters hands. Mistakes are seen as TPG errors and the slabs are bought up quickly,and cracked,leaving you with a handful of cheap plastic and base metal. TPG also say that they will replace any coin found as a fake in their slab,however forgot to mention that it has to be the original person who had the coin slabbed in the first,that claims,so no good if you bought it entombed. I also asked NGC awhile ago with regards to one of theirs and they said that all coins go through a complex examination,and that it is highly unlikly to be graded wrong,So I thought fair enough you know better (as I opened my 1902 Matt double sovereign,that was marked as 1902 florin,of which I had paid a florins price).NGC you got me on that one. You're kidding!!!!

Here's an amusing one: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/The-Battle-of-Trafalgar-2005-Commemorative-Crown-/200882237509?pt=UK_Coins_BritishComm_RL&hash=item2ec583b045&nma=true&si=lwoW94bIzNFaHgBs%252BW1cUSuae4I%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557 The seller has sold silver proofs in the past and has described them as such, but in this instance described the item as an unwanted gift and made no mention of it being the gold proof edition, as described on the box, and offering recorded delivery only. The bidding sat at £30 with seconds to go and I decided to take a punt at just over a hundred, thinking that if I didn't get the hoped for bargain I could always return it as 'not as described'. Anyway a sniper nabbed it for just over £525, so someone either got a bargain (the gold proof would be worth double that in bullion) or will be entering into some interesting discussions with the seller! Weird one.

Don't you mean Luton Town Peter? My postmanperson. Who yet again popped a Sign For package through the door without getting a signature. Seriously, if I wasn't such an honest chap (and it'd cause a headache for the seller) I'd be tempted to say I never got it and demand compensation. Thankfully it was the correct address and it was untampered with, but I do worry one day it won't be ... My postie does the same, and the previous one used to sign for special delivery ones himself then pop it through!!!! But I am very trusting so allow it.

Close call ~ bad luck !!! edit: may have been a tactical error on your part to show your hand so early. I bet if you'd put in a last few seconds snipe you'd have got it at a much lower price. No doubt c***r made a manual snipe with 4 seconds to go. You're right.... But I was out for dinner and I can't really sit in a restaurant bidding You pop to the loo with 2 minutes to go, isn't that what we all do?

:lol:

I am looking to acquire an attractive mid-high grade example of this type but I am very new to this area. I wondered what others thought of this one (I was a losing bidder) in terms of grade and whether the winning bidder paid about the going rate for it? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251214086663?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2648

Not sure I entirely agree with that. 'Unc' for a proof coin always seems anomalous because a proof coin is either perfect or it isn't. Anything which impairs the coin after production is ultimately wear and the next step down should surely be GEF shouldn't it? Traditionally the term 'proof impaired' was used but seems to have gone out of fashion now; nonetheless the term didn't say how much the coin was impaired, so was I guess only of limited use. I have been led to believe that 'Proof' was not a grade at all, rather a reference to the polished and normally superior dies used. While you might expect a Proof coin to be high grade as they are not intended for circulation, the grade of a coin is something completely separate, is it not? I have seen some low-mid grade Proof coins! Quite, and a low grade Proof pocket piece should be graded F, VF etc. Once it has lost its FDC status then its back on the normal grading system. Totally agree Derek, experienced dealers and sellers shouldn't describe the grade simply as 'proof', laziness at best!

Not sure I entirely agree with that. 'Unc' for a proof coin always seems anomalous because a proof coin is either perfect or it isn't. Anything which impairs the coin after production is ultimately wear and the next step down should surely be GEF shouldn't it? Traditionally the term 'proof impaired' was used but seems to have gone out of fashion now; nonetheless the term didn't say how much the coin was impaired, so was I guess only of limited use. I have been led to believe that 'Proof' was not a grade at all, rather a reference to the polished and normally superior dies used. While you might expect a Proof coin to be high grade as they are not intended for circulation, the grade of a coin is something completely separate, is it not? I have seen some low-mid grade Proof coins!

Not really, no. I take it as the subjective opinion it is, and have the strength of character to make up my own mind on whether or not it actually does detract, myself. Stuff like that doesn't wind me up at all, I'm pleased to say. I just take it as a line that is trying to place the best possible spin on the coin. Something that sellers do. I do too, now, but I used to regard dealers as experts and naively treat their coin gradings and assessments/comments as objective, a lesson learnt but one yet to be learnt perhaps by those new to collecting? Just me being rose-tinted I suppose! It stays in the Room for me!

Time to add a new pet hate to room 101 I think! There are several new members over the last month or two, welcome , and don't be afraid to post anything you like, including any frustrations, questions or maddening things that might deserve to be placed here! I have just finished my monthly perusal of all my favorite dealers' coin lists and am reminded of a pet hate phrase, i.e. 'doesn't detract' This can be interpreted as anything from downright patronising (I am an expert therefore if I say this gouge doesn't matter then it doesn't and don't challenge me), at worst, to Estate Agent style selling at best (e.g. the slight scratch near King's nose and slight edge bump at 4 o'clock that 'don't detract' from the attractiveness and appeal of this rare coin). How on earth can a scratch, each knock/bump, gouge, even weak strike not detract from a coin's eye appeal??? I will buy a coin based on eye appeal, grade, and price, all my own opinion, but it does wind me up that we are in this potentially manipulative market sometimes, anyone else agree?

Hi Gary, I have PM'd you

It looks for all the world like "Hmmm". The one I don't 'get' is this one : (the description of ph34r doesn't help one little bit!) ph34r = Fear ......I assume = A disapproving hmmmmm I would guess Fear! Interesting - I'd always guessed (a bit wildly) that it was someone going incognito, or being a spy, or covering up something or other, or just being mysterious. I'd never have guessed fear. (Wouldn't "f34r" have been better than "ph34r"? Or perhaps we will never know... ) You are now trying to get into the mind of the person who came up with that smiley.......a very dangerous area to be I would guess I thought that meant 'I'm being a bit of a coin nerd here'!