Colin G.

I have downloaded the ePub version and it works perfectly on liberty reader (windows 8 app). I have then also opened it on my iPhone using a reader app called readmill had to tweak the font size slightly but is working great.

Stuart it does not take too long before you get back to a tree with many branches. The odds are then stacked in your favour that you will find something out of the ordinary. It is also quite bizarre how some branches can be easily traced and others are a complete nightmare. I am still chasing a John Smith from Chester le Street and as you can imagine it is a bit of a nightmare, but I am getting there!! Nick I can understand and agree with the principles behind your statement, but would agree with SM that really it is for the directly involved parties to determine how and when that information is divulged.

Doh...I only just got that one... Do share the joke! I was being quite serious. I've stopped using my mother's maiden name on most sites ever since my sister started doing genealogy on ancestry.com and posting family details that anyone who had quite basic details could research. I thought you were joking about the fact that if you were using your mothers maiden name on a genealogy site that it may not be the best security question...I should read more thoroughly However you have reminded of another issue, just because you may be happy for your tree and the information within to go public, do not assume that all family members will feel the same. Family history can be an emotive subject and it highly possible that you may stumble across information that needs handling with discretion. Invite family members to it by all means but I would never publicise my tree.

I think Ancestry has improved over the last couple of years, especially now you can submit corrections to the data, because as you can imagine spelling at the time was not great and then combien that with a computer reading text and you have a recipe for lots of disasters. However I would agree that the Free BMD is also a useful tool. They are all much the same but the way the search facilities operate mean that you may not find a record on one but then stumble across it on another because of the way the search tools operate. https://familysearch.org/ is another good free one and bizarrely they have plenty of the parish church records on microfiche and will e-mail you scans of the actual register entry if it is one they have a copy of. It takes a while to get a response but as a free service it is great...and you soon realise that with family trees it is a time consuming process so there is no rush. Most of your work can be done on Family Tree maker, so I usually just end up having a one month subscription every 6 months and do all my downloading in one go. Genealogy is one of those things that I have found I pick up and put down so a 12 month subscription would not be much use to me.

Doh...I only just got that one...

I agree Family Tree maker is very good and if you buy a copy you will get 6 months free on the Ancestry.co.uk website to search all the records. A great combination and there is some really useful information on there. My advice is that you will encounter many trees that will slot in to your tree as branches come together..take them on face value...a majority are inaccurate. Always check and double check everything. Certificates can also give you some great information..but they are about £9 a copy now so it does not take long for it to start adding up, but they are often the only way to tie things together.

It is quite difficult to put into words, however I find that the bronzed examples normally have a quite even chocolate tone to them, and often look "too consistent" in tone, whereas the copper examples can vary in tone quite like currency examples can.

I am watching but last time the online bidding was way behind..bidding was almost impossible

I am also not an error man unless I can not refuse the bargain......well it is definitely not an 1831, so must be 1834-1837

The logic behind it was the smallest bird for the smallest denomination..perhaps it was a lot to do with the wren being a very common small bird widely known by the population whereas the other two are less well known. Alternatively a baby wren is smaller than a goldcrest or firecrest

What have you done only another 12 to get now to complete the set http://www.aboutfarthings.co.uk/Lauer%20Model%20Farthings.html A very nice example by the way!! Thanks Colin, a genuine eBay bargain as far as I'm concerned! 9 + G, Rogers 877? Spot on!!

What have you done only another 12 to get now to complete the set http://www.aboutfarthings.co.uk/Lauer%20Model%20Farthings.html A very nice example by the way!!

I can see whe I agree that it has the same appearance, but this feature is also visible in the 5/4. I have yet to see an example that clearly illustrates a 5/3, but it is certainly feasible. Also worth noting that there are at least two different dies with the 5/4 feature, one is further to the left than the other so much more of the underlying 4 is visible.

If you imagine the die cut with 184 and no final digit, but it never gets used in the 1840's so at the start of the 1850's they re-punch the die that only has the three digits, so it is now bears 185 and then you can punch any other last digit in place, so that the last digit does not show as re-punched....hope that makes sense?

There are definitely 5/4 examples with the 1850 farthings and 5/7 and 5/3 are also rumoured, but I am convinced they are all the same 5/4 in different stages of progression if you bear in mind that they were using master dies with the first three digits struck a 5/4 is very likely as the end of the 40's and the beginning of the 50's began. http://www.aboutfarthings.co.uk/Site%20Images/Victoria/Copper/1850-Obv2b.jpg

Definitely an 1850

No problem..I always just think of you when I see them, I don't know whether that is a good thing though

For me I always think it has to be easily distinguishable. You have to be able to pick up an example and be able to classify it easily into one of the two varieties. I just don't see anything in that picture that I would consider significant enough to be recordable (if on a farthing) , I think you can get some difference in digit thickness and difference in strike that can lead to some minimal differences across coins.

Came across this whilst doing the farthing search http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1816-George-III-farthing-quarter-penny-lovely-example-/131030782484?pt=UK_Coins_BritishMilled_RL&hash=item1e820b1214

Certainly looks a bit ropey, I wondered if it may have been as a result of the coin being heated up. I have tried to spot a repair. The fact that the tone is only in the recesses also makes you think it may be as a result of a surface residue of something used to clean the coin, which has subsequently been removed form the higher points.

I would say that the definition of a "must have" coin will vary across members on the forum. Your version of a must have coin is likely to be one that is very few in number, and you may not get another opportunity to acquire an example for quite some time, then the AT may not be as big an issue assuming the price is right. However for others a must have coin is likely to be determined by its aesthetic qualities and therefore would be snubbed by many.

Sky blue? It is uniform and overall. It may be a cleaning agent residue rather than deliberately AT, but it dosn't look very natural in hand.The blue is highlighted because of the change in relief on the design, but is in the fields too. I agree that it may be a residue of some sort, or reaction from previous storage conditions, but for me that is not AT, the coin has not undergone deliberate enhancement. The blue may not be your preferred colour , but I don't believe anyone could achieve that tone on bronze/copper instantly and deliberately. Actually if you want to sell it at a severely knocked down price to me because of that bright blue AT, I may consider taking it off your hands

Me neither, I can see the feature you mean but that could just as easily be a flaw in the die, it also seems to be a common area for a 5 to obtain a flaw I knew I should have typed faster

Oh dear

Rob I have to say I would not be convinced that what is shown on that coin is AT. My verdict may be different with coin in hand, but that tone seems quite plausibly natural to me. What led you to the conclusion that this coin is AT?