secret santa

What grade did they slab it at ?

Did anyone see the price that pennies fetched in the Stacks-Bowers sale ? Very high grades but unbelievable prices. See 1927 and 1895 pennies: https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-UTMAO/great-britain-penny-1927-george-v-ngc-ms-66-red https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-UTM0A/great-britain-penny-1895-london-mint-victoria-ngc-ms-66-red-brown

I think it's the younger generation that are doing that - our granddaughter's student boyfriend speculates on bitcoin whereas none of my pensioner golfing friends would touch it with a bargepole !

Plus, of course, the fact that the pandemic has seen people's bank accounts swell through lack of holidays, restaurants etc and, as the baby boomers move through their twilight years, they realise that they can't take it with them. So they may as well spend it on something that takes their fancy.

Me too.

(I posted this one on Jan 4th - see above)

Could you post the pic or refer me to a link so that I can add it to my varieties site please Jerry.

Reverse G by number of teeth

Good idea - I've messaged him. Thanks.

Ah yes, I have his book and there's an email address inside. But I want images of all denominations.

I am thinking about creating a decimal coins varieties site along the lines of my penny varieties site and wonder whether there is a site(s) from where I can take good quality images rather than have to take my own photos ? Something to pass the winter months.

It's got the dropped 90 as per Gouby's book. Nice one.

Do you have the link ?

I wonder if there's a market for them, tapping into the nostalgia/curiosity ?

Pictures below:

My 1853 proof has a similar marbled look.

Absolutely fascinating. I recommend watching it all but if you're time is limited, the coin-relevant content starts at 38 minutes in.

I have always maintained that it is not possible to definitively identify a proof striking of a "normal metal" copper or bronze coin from a photograph unless it is totally pristine. We have all seen the same coin portrayed differently according to the conditions and technology used. The exception might be where a proof die is recognisably different from the working dies used to strike circulation coins. And I'm not sure that I've ever seen such a "different" proof striking. Coupled with the fact that there are probably no existing specimens of freshly struck Victorian circulation coins that have been immediately taken out of circulation and preserved in a collection, it is hard to know how close to "proof condition" an early, well-preserved circulation coin might be. Some of the bronzed proofs are clearly identifiable as proofs but probably because they definitely have never seen circulation. I bid on that 1859 penny at LCA but might have bid higher had I been able to examine it in hand. I did buy an 1860 F6A proof penny from DNW this year but not before I'd discussed its condition with DNW staff and also obtained a guarantee that I could return if not convinced. In hand it has very reflective and "polished" surfaces that satisfy me that it's a proof but photographs just do not capture that aspect. My 1861 F37 proof penny has very sharp edges and teeth but photos of it don't look particularly proof-like, although Colin Adams, who owned the coin previously, clearly considered it to be a proof. Bottom line is that you need to look at it in hand and decide for yourself.