Sword

Are you tempted to find out what's in the sealed envelope? But an envelope with mystery content could be a lot more interesting if it turns out to be a low grade penny inside. On reflection, I would probably leave it alone myself to maintain the suspense.

My opinion is that damage is damage. Calling it pre or post mint damage is just an attempt to sugar the pill. I would just view such damage on the level of bag marks and they don't necessitate stating on the slab. The term "mint state" has never been taken literally by TPGs.

I have long admired the very high quality of late Victorian coinage. I agree that the Jubilee Head and also the Old Head coins have such wonderfully reflective fields. Even standard currency sometimes have frosting on designs. The highly reflective surfaces also promote beautiful toning too.

I think if the layer of tarnish is "thin", then it will be transparent to the eye and let light reflect back on the smooth surface below. Once the tarnish layer gets too think, then it will no longer allows light to reflect from the surface below and the coin no longer have reflective fields.

The fact that there are many methods available would imply that there is no clear winner. In many cases, the winning method is to leave the coin alone ... I don't think dipping can generally restore the cartwheel lustre of a mint coin but can be helpful if the toning is ugly.

The official weight from the Royal mint is 28.28g and so spot on.

The thing is if people has got one in change, they would likely to keep it for a bit and so there will be a very limited number in circulation. People will get bore after a while.

I would leave it myself. The coin has a bit of wear and you can't be certain if there is lustre underneath. I wouldn't think it's worth the risk of dipping.

I personally dislike even dark toning. It makes the design looks so flat. Nice toning around the devices of a coin highlights the design.

I reckon that unless you make an effort to get bags of coins from banks, then it will probably be a couple of months before you get one in change due to initial hoarding. I have got my first Charles III £20 note yesterday. It's over 2 months since they were first released and the higher value notes are less likely to be hoarded.

We all have to start from somewhere and what we collect changes with time. Most collectors would eventually want to collect items that at least resemble the "real" coins we can spent.

An example was sold as part of a large group by London Coins auction. https://www.londoncoins.co.uk/?page=Pastresults&searchterm=$10+British+Virgin+Islands+2000&searchtype=1&red=1 Unfortunately, there isn't really a demand for such items. But modern commemoratives can help people get interested in the hobby.

It would be easiest to email them and ask about their website. But the message "Stored Closed" seems pretty ominous. If it is temporary, it would say something like "website is down due to maintenance" or "new website will be coming soon". But it doesn't make much sense to be selling just on eBay when they have their own website. I have almost forgotten about them but do recall that they had a well presented website.

I find myself looking at this coin over and over again. The hallmark from the original host plate highlights the fascinating history of this series.

Thanks for sharing photos of your coin collection. The sentimental value of such an inheritance is priceless and could be the catalyst to spark off an interest in coins. Many of the coins are very collectable but none are in particulalrly high grades. You can have a look at the London coins website to see what how the coins would look in high grade / mint conditions. https://londoncoins.co.uk/?page=Pastresults&auc=185&searchlot=2360&searchtype=2&red=1 The Charles II fourpence and 1687 are maundy coins and not intended for circulation. Hence they have good details despite their age. The 1834 (and probably 1887 half crown) was removed from a brooch and hence the marks. (In general, scratches, edge bumps, previous cleaning also lower value.) You have a nice selection there. (At a glance, I imagine the collection is worth several hundred pounds.) Like Paddy said, enjoy them!