Mr T

For 1937 there are 10 (yes 10) obverse types: Good grief, looks like the Royal Mint didn't put any effort into improving the production of the poor old £5 coin. Fascinating all the same. Mr T, Going back to your original question. Your selection seems about right. I would add the dated but good '' English Silver Coinage' as a cross reference. It's History of milled coinage at the beginning is excellent. Incidentally Spink have advised it will soon be updated and reproduced. Mark Thanks Mark, I do have English Silver Coinage though it is a little out dated as you say. I suppose here is as good a place as any to hear about interesting new discoveries then?

I think buying it for the rarity is as good a reason as any - I know I like the feeling of having and holding a coin that has survived a long time relatively unscathed.

For anyone wondering, Peter Davies in British Silver Coins covers a bit of the history, though not a lot.

Interesting - do you remember what these 1902 and 1937 varieties are? I wouldn't have though there'd be any varieties either though I recall someone here saying a while back that the 1887 £5 (I think) dies struck on average 127 or so coins each (and I think that was for the currency coins too).

I've been considering my library lately and how up to date the reference material is with regards to varieties. For post 1860 bronze Michael Freeman's books seem to be the standard. For post 1860 pennies it seems like Michael Gouby's books are the most comprehensive, though the Gouby X variety isn't in any of his books. For the silver Peter Davies' British Silver Coins Since 1816 seems to be the most comprehensive book. For the half sovereign and sovereign Michael Marsh's books seem to be the most comprehensive. For the two and five pound pieces I'm not sure of any books that cover them. Is what I have the best with regards to coverage of varieties? I think David Groome's books might have more varieties covered but I understand they're 20th century only. And are there any books that covers two and five pound pieces?

So my understanding is that crowns stopped being minted for circulation in 1900, but circulation strikes were also produced in 1902, 1935 and 1937 (and 1953 and 1965 and so on). How were the circulation strikes in these years distributed if the crown wasn't strictly something that circulated any more?

I personally don't follow that mantra (not strictly anyway) - I collect a lot of different things, am a completionist and have no intention of ever selling so settling with a middle of the road condition rarity makes more sense for me as it fills the gap. If it's a good deal and I have the money I will take the plunge on a pricey rarity though. I suppose it depends on what you intend to do with the coins.

I don't think so, but I guess that's just how it is. A while ago I made enquiries about viewing Australia's national coin collection, held by the Royal Australian Mint. The public aren't allowed to view it, though apparently dribs and drabs of the interesting stuff are displayed from time to time. Strangely though, Museum Victoria seems to have publicly available photos of its entire coin collection - a fairly comprehensive collection of British Empire coins (including the Sydney Mint and Melbourne Mint collections).

I'd try using a hardwood tooth-pick as well. It might not do any good if it's terribly encrusted but if it's only light then it works reasonably well.

Just curious, where's the best place to read about the history of these patterns?

1871 - Appropriate design for a coin. 2012 - Too cartoony, but less cartoony than the 2005. 2005 - Too cartoony.

Thanks.

There's an electronic version of Michael Gouby's writings?

Is that from a so-called 'basement slabber'?

I've been a few times and it's good. Plenty of dealers looking to do business, though no bar. Compared to other coin shows it's the biggest and the only one where you'll be able to get your mint-marked dollar.

Only half sovereigns and sovereigns (and the two and five pound coins but too only proofs were ever struck).

Another encounter with Downies (not mine): http://www.coincommunity.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=162460

Some sort of partial collar error. Not sure about how common it is with British coins but it's reasonably uncommon on Australian coins. Definitely a keeper.

Do you have a picture?

I think it also mentions H and K in KN either being aligned with or between beads.

I've also read somewhere that the Australian pennies struck in India 1916-1918 had the I mintmark applied in London (using an I punch used for Edward VII Maundy twopence).

Thanks! http://books.google.com.au/books?id=h3JHAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false for anyone having trouble finding it.

Is there anything to suggest more than one 1880/70 die was used for the London coins? It's possible that it happened in Melbourne or Sydney as I think they both relied on London sending the fully dated dies in a timely manner, something which didn't always happen. I believe there a few earlier Australian overdate sovereigns though I'm not sure whether they came about due to the late arrival of new dies or for some other reason.

Where does one find a copy of these reports?

I'd say the low to mid thousands of dollars (or pounds), unless off-metal strikes are more popular than I think they are. Is collecting decimals much less popular than collecting predecimals though? It's hard to say as this board is obviously focussed on the predecimal side of things.