Sword

Mike is right in that they should have checked it (even if quickly) before it went online. I am not trying to be cynical but I am not certain if they could be bothered to correct all those mistakes. After all, they couldn't be bothered to fix the LCGS section of their website. There are still numerous mentions of CGS Ltd and missing photos. And it is only 16 days to the auction. The mistakes won't matter soon ...

Impressive that you have worked it out!

There are probably dozens (and I am not joking) of errors of the same type. Now I can understand why the catalogue was described as a train wreck.

Care with spelling Guy. At least you only missed out one letter rather than two. Might be Nordle11 can correct the typo?

Love that portrait. I think the double struck bell mint mark is kind of cute rather than distracting. If only there is no flan split.

I didn't realise that they do until now. This guy is proud of his low grading at PR45. http://www.ebay.com/itm/1906-25C-PF45-lowest-graded-example-POP1-CIRCULATED-will-not-EVER-find-another-/132069897483?hash=item1ebffab50b%3Ag%3AiI4AAOSwmLlX2Fwz

I agree with Dave that they were particularly careless this time. Whilst mistakes are unavoidable, even the most cursory inspection would find these odd photos in the hammered section. http://www.londoncoins.co.uk/?searchlot=1722&searchtype=2&page=Catalogue http://www.londoncoins.co.uk/?searchlot=1816&searchtype=2&page=Catalogue http://www.londoncoins.co.uk/?searchlot=1817&searchtype=2&page=Catalogue I wouldn’t say it’s quite a bad as a train wreck, more like Windows 8 when it was first released.

Exactly. It really should be rejected by TPGs.

The metal needs to react with substance(s) for toning to form. I don't believe light on its own can cause the loss of lustre but it can accelerate the reactions of metals with substances in the air. Alternatively the lustre will be hidden if something like particles in cigarette smoke are deposited on the surface. I remember Rob mentioning that a coin of his remained lustrous for hundreds of years as it were trapped in the bottom of a glass tumbler. If I have a valuable lustrous bronze coin, I would probably want to slab it just to reduce the chances of it tarnishing.

I have noticed that too and was also surprised by the grading. I wonder why do people use phrases like "nearer EF than VF" in the first place when GVF or NEF are available. By the way I think you have a superb shilling there Dave. To be fair to LCA, many would say yours is quite a bit better than GVF

I have asked before and they e-mailed me the photos (but it was for a more expensive lot). However, I don't trust their descriptions enough these days to be buying blind. Have a look at lot 2295 "Halfcrown 1887 Young Head ESC 717 UNC and graded 78 by LCGS". If they didn't mention the rim damage at 10 o'clock, they might not want to mention a range of other defects either.

I love the Wreath Crown design and think it is Kruger Gray's best work. It was also a very original design and has deservedly achieved iconic status. This idea of plants coming out of a coronet was no doubt inspired by the excellent works of Leslie Durbin shown on the 1984-87 pound coins. I really like Durbin's works and the only set of decimal coins I have brought was the 1984-87 four coins piedfort.

This is a photo of the original design. Apparently there were more than 6000 entries including adults. The design was then refined by the coin artist David Lawrence. Don't get me wrong. I am very pleased for him and I think it is a totally fantastic for a 15 year old to win the competition. However, if I am honest, it really just look like the work of a (talented) schoolboy rather than a pro. I understand that he tried to be PC and so the leek, rose, thistle and shamrock are similar in size. But it just look odd for the leek to be the same size as say the shamrock. For me, the coronet is also out of proportion to the plants. The rose, thistle, shamrock and leek are somehow just sitting next to each other without any sort of interlinking. The quality of the engraving (which has nothing to do with his design) just doesn't do it for me. Then again, many of the modern designs also look rather poor. That's why I don't collect modern RM offerings!

Great photos. Thanks! I do get the impression that museums don't always treat their rare coins well unfortunately ...

I laugh at the cheap and ridiculous scams some people try to pull nowadays. If you Google "Nicky123 Coins", you will find that another and perhaps unrelated Nicky123 has posted " I have to unfortunately sell my collection of UNDATED 20p COINS Mint Condition: More than 500 pieces Very Good Condition: 150 pieces ... " in another forum. The said person has since claimed that she has received a "good offer". Someone then posted "And now they're miraculously sold, without any proof. Congratulations; you win 'Least Convincing Scam, February 2017". http://thesilverforum.com/topic/8037-undated-20p-received-a-good-offer/#comment-104302 Oh, I found two 1933 pennies when sorting out old coins ... I wonder if they are valuable .... anyone interested?

This post suggests that they were collected in change. But no one can believe that it is possible to find 700 that way... Rob's post really says it all.

I think any coin with a UIN of less than 25000 would have the traditional grade (e.g. EF70, AU75, AU78, (or EF75 & EF78 for early slabs)) stated on the slab unless it has been re-slabbed later on. CGS dropped the prefix grading letters after march 2013. Hence UIN of 9285 would certainly have UNC 80 stated on the slab unless it has been reholdered.

Talking of the Standing Britannia design, I recently put a commission bid for a British Empire Dollar. It went for £20 more than my bid. Not a candidate for this contest of course but a nice looking coin all the same. (It was designed by de Saulles but I still prefer the florin design)

The Petition crown is one of my top choices because it is a coin ahead of its time. The incredibly lifelike portrait of Charles II, the stunning shield reverse and the amazing two lines petition on the edge. It was indeed a real tragedy that that Simon’s design wasn’t adopted. The Oxford crown has a very impressive equestrian portrait of Charles I in front of the beautiful and cityscape of Oxford. One can recognise the Magdalene Tower and the University Church. I am also sentimental towards Oxford as it is the town I lived in after leaving home for the first time. And there is the historical declaration on the reverse. The fact that Charles I was exiled in Oxford at the time make this coin even more interesting.

I think you might want to use the "ring" test. Put the coin on your forefinger and tap gently on the edge with another coin. Bronze, cupro-nickel, sterling silver, 50% silver all give very different rings when taped. A bronze coin gives a long clear ring. A cupro-nickel coin gives a dull short ring. You can compare the rings of your two 1944 pennies. Since the coin is not in the highest grades, I don't think any harm can be done by this test.

Leaving prices aside, my two top choices would be the Petition Crown and the Charles I Oxford Crown.

Shot up to £398 in the last few seconds. A nine bob note has apparently been auctioned by Spink

"Chavs" was an unfortunate choice of word. But I understand what you are saying. And sometimes decent coins just get passed on or inherited by people who know nothing about coins. I do feel rather sad that so many quality coins have been ruined by careless polishing.

I think this is quite a sensible thing to do. Leave the coin alone but keep a close eye on it. Then you only need to consider doing something if you see the faintest signs of marks developing. And you might never have a problem.

It was a trial coin.