Paddy

I suspect quite a nice coin somewhere under all that grim, so worth the effort. I would try soap and warm water with a soft sponge first to see if the grime is going to shift easily. If not the olive oil treatment might do it.

You may well be right! It is so many years since I listened to it that I have forgotten. So add: Moody Blues - Nights in White Satin (long forgotten memories) Steve Harley - Sebastian (off the wall but entertaining)

How about a little "Desert Island Discs". You are stuck on an Island for the foreseeable future - you have your coins (life would be unthinkable without them) - what six tracks would you need with you? Mine change as time goes by, but for now: Pink Floyd - Shine on you Crazy Diamond (in full - dreamy) Led Zeppelin - Trampled Under Foot (gets me going when I am being lazy) Tangerine Dream - Cherokee Lane (dreamy) Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells (such variety) Meatloaf - Paradise by the Dashboard Light (memories of teenage years) King Crimson - The Court of the Crimson King (endlessly entertaining) How about you?

I don't know, but have you tried the Indian Princely states? Reminds of some of the small silver coins they produced.

That's great - thanks for the update. I suspected it was a chimera and I am glad to have it confirmed.

Anybody else listen to Jamie T? I am surprised to find how infectious and memorable his stuff is. First bit I got into was "Salvador" after it was mentioned on some BBC4 documentary on musice. The video is mesmeric too:

Well as you know, I am new to varieties, but to me that looks more like reverse H. I think the date is wider on the I... This is my one that was identified as reverse I on this forum:

As I understand it, whenever there is an edge inscription, there is no reeding on British Crowns in this period. I have checked my own collection - the Jubilee headed Crowns and the Wreath Crowns have reeding as do the 1937, 1960 and 1965 in the pre-decimal era. The rest have edge inscriptions and no reeding, including the 1951 and 1953. BTW, have you got into the stop marks on the 1840s Crowns? The book says that both Cinquefoil and Star stops are possible on the 1844 and 1845 coins but I have never seen a Star stop 1845. (Some that claim to be, but always mis-identified.)

I can only give you what is in Dickinson: "Thomas Ellis 1/2 1668 (At the Waggon)" D52 under Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk. Does not appear to be one of those copied into the Withers token book. Dickinson gives value at £28, which means Withers would give it £56. Nice token! These were used as local currency in the latter half of the 17th century until the law authorising them was repealed. There are a huge number of different ones - Dickinson lists 50 odd for Bury St Edmunds alone, and nearly 400 in Suffolk. New ones are still being discovered. Any small business or even Parish Council could have them struck and there were companies specialising in making them. They make very interesting history. The non-round ones, particularly heart shaped ones, seem to be the most sought after.

I don't know how many people here enjoy the Gorillaz as a group - I find them very refreshing. This song - Manana - has a particularly powerful video with it. I often find a feel like the star of this animation - the "powers that be" are out to get me, and even when I am defeated they keep on at me!

Is that an offer or just an assessment?

Just listening to "Towers of Dub" now through Facebook. I like - I will have to get that album...

Yes I keep thinking of things I have missed off - 10cc is definitely one, the How Dare You album is my favourite. Then there is Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez (Diamonds and Rust track appeals to me particularly at the moment). If, like me, you enjoy Tangerine Dream and the obcurer Pink Floyd you may find The Orb enjoyable - space age prog weirdness.

While we are on the 1848 Shilling - this is mine. The unusual shape of the 4 in the date has bugged me for a while, and there is another with similar variety on CCF at the moment. I can't see that it is over another digit. Is it a recognised variety? I do not have any references on Silver varieties yet. Thanks,

Having achieved a slight upgrade for myself, this 1837 Half Farthing is now spare. Before I list on Ebay I thought I would offer it to the members of Predecimal. I am not sure quite what it would make on Ebay - condition is not brilliant, but it is a scarce date - so I invite sensible offers!

That does seem to work better - at least when the seller is genuine but inexperienced. If it doesn't work we know he is a con-man!

It's been pulled so something worked!

I was not criticising him! I am sure I would have done the same in his position, particularly as it is a small local Post Office struggling to survive. Just commenting on where they have all gone and why they are not appearing in circulation. :-)

If the buyer knows what they are looking at at all. I suspect many of these dodgy sellers get away with it most of the time because of the inexperience of the buyers.

I have been shown a few in hand by ardent young collectors. All so far have come through contacts at the local post offices. I spoke to the guy in my local PO and he confirmed they had received one bag of them. When I asked if he had any left he went a bit cagey - I suspect he took the lot himself and sold them on...

No - looks, even to me, like a badly cast copy. Someone just wasted £31 I fear.

Well try him! He probably has no more idea what it is worth than the next guy. Was it here or on another forum that there was an Ebay token up for £2400 BIN and an offer of £50 was made and accepted promptly. Not for me - error coins are a mistake as far as I am concern - double meaning intended.

Or Penny Lane (Beatles)? Or Kiss Me by Sixpence none the Richer?

... or maybe "My old man's a dustman"...

Sounds great to me - I am on it!