Descartes

Thanks for sharing the article with us Hussulo! It's certainly good to hear about these things. I definitely won't be buying any more U.S coins from online auctions. Will stick to dealers for these now

Thanks for the info guys. I've now ordered a copy of the 'U.S Coins Red Book' ... D

A few months ago I started collecting U.S quarters (state quarters, beautiful quarters, etc) as an aside to my sixpence collecting. Having now collected most of the state quarters and and being up to date with the beautiful quarters I've decided I'd like to expand into barber quarters and seated/standing liberty quarters and build up a decent collection. I've bought a few now but the prices seem to vary so much I thought I would enquire if anybody knew of a good price guide! (as im probably being diddled with some purchases on eBay). Also, I wondered if there were any collectors who could advise of respectable U.S coin dealers in the UK? Thanks, D

Hmmmm i don't want to sound suspicious, but is it genuine, something about it looks odd, the legend for instance. What is the weight, and have you a REV picture?Maybe its just me Hi Azda, oh yikes! I hope not :/ that'd be bad news. Here's a pic of the reverse. Apologies for the poor quality. I dont have a very good camera. D

Here's a photo of my newest sixpence. I wonder how much a sixpence could buy you in the late 1690s. Does anybody know of any good books or websites that look at these kind of stats? What were people's wages/what did things cost in the the 1600s-1700s. D

Hi, I know there are a couple of lovely Iraqi and Kurdish coins that are square. I too collected them due to their interesting shape! It's fun collecting curious and interesting coins ... and it keeps me distracted from sixpences when I've bought too many and am waiting for my next pay day.

Thanks Gary, you've been very helpful. Being a newbie I thought I'd better check with people

Hi Gary, Thanks for the reply. I was just a bit concerned that the 7 on the die number looked like it was plonked on top of the wreath rather than being part of the actul strike. Thanks for the link and examples though. Feel a bit more confident about the coin now. Darren

Hi forum, I was wondering if I could have an opinion on this sixpence please? I enjoy collecting Viccy sixpences with die numbers and have seen one i like on good old ebay, but for some reason I think the '7' looks a bit odd on this one. Would appreciate another person's view. Thanks, Darren

The seller was CromwellCrown, but it was a while ago: Coins for sale link Thanks Tomgoodheart, Yes, this was the one. I've emailed him to see if the sixpence is still available. Thanks for the reply! Darren

Hi forum, I was recently viewing a forum members profile who was selling a great many coins... unfortunately, when I came back to look again I forgot their profile name and couldnt find their page!! I'm looking for a commonwealth sixpence to add to my collection. Does anybody have one for sale? Thanks, Darren

I agree, Peter. It's been a fantastic weekend of celebrations for a diamond queen. Talking about facebook here is a status from a friend of mine in the U.S "Watching the Diamond Jubilee makes me wish we had never made that huge mistake in 1776" ...

What a great idea I collect beer (ale) labels and have amassed several hundred local varieties (Wiltshire and Dorset). I blame the copious amounts of drinking I do on my fellow students ;)we have a lovely seasonal ale back at home called 'Sign of Spring' it's green, and perfect for quenching ones thirst during the Easter vacations Darren

Thanks for the links, they are really useful! Darren

My hobby!! Linda Lusardi, for example Oh blimey! that was a Freudian slip I have no other excuses hehe ... esp since I'm doing an English degree :/ I'll bear that in mind next time I post Darren

Ah, these are brill! thanks, Mongo. You're a star for finding these online. Appreciated. Darren

Extraordinary! clearly some people have no idea at all! Darren

Thanks chaps,it's worked ... huzzah! Darren

Hi, apologies if this is not the right forum/place to post this, but my profile photo doesnt appear on my posts/topics and when I leave comments. Please could somebody advise how this can be rectified? Darren

Hi Clive, Thanks for the reply. I will certainly bare in mind private collections and will be very grateful for any photographic images that people can provide. I'll start the ball rolling by emailing the curators to see what's what. At least then I can plan everything properly. I did a similar project for the Paintings of Ralph chubb (for a biography) a few years back and the museums of Britain were very expensive regarding images. Some charged me over £50. Nevertheless I managed to collect them all in the end! The book is unfinished but I've been gettting emails from curators asking if I can tell them about Chubb for their records! At the moment I dont really plan on making a guide for commercial purposes. If it turns out I get enough information and photographs it might be useful for a guide, it's certainly something I'd happily share with fellow collectors and enthusiasts. Thanks, Darren

Hello forum, I was wondering if anybody could advise whether museums allow you to photograph coins? I've just finished my second year at uni and have an impossibly long 12 weeks to kill! I have built quite a collection of sixpences from every reign back to Charles II and have recently entered the complex minefield of Charles I silver coins. Spink lists the many sixpences but very few have photographs, so I've decided to put together a photographic guidebook and study of the 40+ Charles I sixpences (for all the mints etc). I wanted to seek advise before I swaned off to the National Museum in Wales, the Ashmolean etc. If it's unlikely I'd be allowed, perhaps I could ask forum members if they have examples I could use (they'd be credited of course) or perhaps, as a last resort I could produce a guide with drawings. Thanks, Darren

I came a cropper on the African shilling. I got this one wrong too :/ I thought they used dollars in Somalia. Hmmm

The pound coins produced at Oxford during the civil war are 120g, twice the weight of a cartwheel twopence and in diameter go up to 52mm. http://www.petitioncrown.com/CHARLES_I_OXFORD_MINT.html While it might be nice to have one, it wouldn't be very handy for day to day use! Hi Tom, Oh my! This is one beautiful and gigantic coin. Extraordinary!

Does anybody know what the world's largest coin ever in circulation was? Somebody told me it was the fifty-CFP Franc at 32.9 mm? I wonder if there has been anything to rival our fabulous Cartwheel Twopence in weight? Descartes

I've never found a definitive answer as to what they were used for, but there is an interesting paragraph in the 1869 book by George Frederick Ansell, published in 1870, who worked in The Royal Mint at that time. He says: "For the past four of five years the reverse die has been made to carry, in addition to its recognised device, a small number, with a view to determine at which coining press, and on what particular day, the numbered die was used, that bad work might be traced to an individual. It need hardly be said that accidents encountered in daily work entirely overcome the object being sought, for a die may last either minutes or days in wear owing to the irregularities of the steel from which it is made, and besides, the boys who work the presses are of necessity changed at irregular intervals." Hi Nick, Thanks for the interesting information. So the Royal Mint were possibly looking at ways to keep tabs on their staff and equipment - a sort of quality control on their coins. I shall certainly have fun attempting to collect all the variations now. :-) D