secret santa

Yes, it's the sort of thing I can add to whenever I get spare time. The concept has worked quite well with the F41 variety. I have received details of an example from a fellow collector (do you have one Jerry ?) and I am already up to 15 pictured examples which matches Gouby's known population, so that figure is beginning to look rather low. I am in 2 minds whether to quote the prices realised for each example - there are pros and cons (not the least being the reduction of the chances of getting a bargain if sellers can see the market !).

I've compiled a gallery of most of the F41 pennies sold in the last 14 years and they're a pretty grim lot, apart from one or two nice ones. See website below, rarepennies

The coin was actually unsold in the auction but I bought it afterwards. Despite its flaws it was the best that Laurie Bamford had managed to get hold of in all his years of collecting and it went for less than it sold for in his sale (in which most coins were reasonably priced in my view). I'd love a better one but I'm not likely to get one.

I've spent quite a bit of time trying to assign pictures to descriptions but am still not sure which is which. High tide and dot are OK - the rest look a bit ambiguous to me. Maybe someone else can post the relationship matrix ?

These are the pics from Laurie Bamford's sale.

Maybe it's just clever lighting.

Yes, I don't know what LCA is doing to their photos but they're managing to convey a very even tone & surface to many of their pennies which can look quite different in daylight or camera flashlight. It's interesting that several people commented that the coins sold in their previous auction looked much better in hand than in their photos, and now the opposite appears to be true.

A changed date I guess because a genuine 1843 has a 3 with a straight top, not a rounded top.

Nice 1843 fake......

Lovely example, Terry.

Prax, do you have that sort of information on other/all rare coins ? It's the sort of thing I was trying to pull together for the rare coin census.

I don't know.

If you could put up a list of the contents (date, denomination, condition) some of the forum members will be able to give you an honest estimate of its worth in advance of your dealing with dealer or auction house. I realise that it may not be practical.

Prax reminded me that there was a 1934 no waves in the James Workman sale which I'd forgotten - pic below. I should add it to the new Freeman appendix.

Just to the left, Pete. Bernie's now sent me a pic which I'll post if Prax doesn't beat me to it.

It was good to meet Prax in person at the auction - he showed me a very nice 1934 penny with missing waves which was new to me - any chance of a pic Prax ?

Lots of hopefully helpful advice here. My inclination would be to sell them through London Coins - they take the lowest seller's commission (10% all inclusive) and will do everything for you. They will not rip you off and you need not worry about your own lack of knowledge of the collection. It sounds as if it is a serious collection, given your mention of John Welsh and the level of documentation that your father-in-law maintained. Putting them on Ebay will require you to take good photographs, enter everything individually over the internet and then pay 10% to Ebay plus Paypal fees which makes it potentially more expensive and a lot more labour-intensive than going through an auction house. You will almost certainly get a better price via auction house than selling to a dealer who will be looking to maximise his profit. These are my personal views only.

I hoped a forum member might get that lot and share the research info (please)

£1300 + 17%

Look for me in pink !!!

Just to correct a statement above - there's no VAT on the buyer's premium - 17% is the uplift, pure & simple. I too have won lots below my maximum bid so I think they're pretty fair.

yep, this is one of the BP1860P to V range. I believe it to be BP1860V with re-entered colon dots, one of the later stages of modification because there is almost no rim beyond the teeth - something I have found to be the case on the final stages of the range. Take a look at my pics on the website below. Although Gouby thought that the colon dots were re-entered, I have my doubts about this as there are so many variations in the size and distance apart of the "re-entered" colon dots. I haven't developed an alternative theory yet though, so I'll still refer to them as re-entered.

I've always been dubious about Ka and Kb being 2 different varieties and now your posts have convinced me that they're one and the same. I think that the extra marks on Michael's Ka pic may be a red herring (although I'm only going on the photos whereas presumably Michael has seen both coins in hand ?)

I haven't yet found any of the 2015 commemoratives (Magna carta, 1st WW or Britannia) in my change - have they all been released ?

Excitement over - back to the drawing board for Sunday !