Colin G.

Hammered coins are real coins! Whatever you decide to collect, enjoy it! I know sure do! Clive. Oh anyone can bash a hammered out Give me milled anyday!!!! As long as its none of the modern commemorative stuff - uuuughhhhhh!!! anyway regardless of what you collect, this forum is a great place to be, knowledge galore!! Welcome aboard

Hi, You might want to visit http://www.aboutfarthings.co.uk to see the difference between Obv 3 and Obv 5 or you could buy Michael Freeman's "The Bronze Coinage of Great Britain" I use the rose and berries to tell the difference...Young Head has 5 and full rose the Old Head has 4 berries in the wreath and only half of the rose shows. Muygrandeoso Thanks for recommending my site Muygrandeoso , I have a page on the site which tries to highlight the main differences, it is Different Obverses

Happy new year everyone!!!!

After oil soak and careful verdigris removal Obv After oil soak and careful verdigris removal Rev So what do you think, improvement or not? Is it time to stop?

After simple wash Obv After simple wash Rev

An update on the G over G, after several days soaking in olive oil, it became easier to remove the larger clumps of verdigris. I have provided images below of the three stages of the process. Original State Obv Original State Rev

Peter, Meant to say congratulations on your achievement , out of interest what were the last 5 dates filled?

Yes I think so. I don't think there is much competition. I subscribe to it and I do enjoy reading it but there does seem to be to many adverts in comparison to actual coin related articles in it. I do like to read about the auction house results (although I don't sell or buy much through the auction houses). I also like the coin clinic section where people ask and try to find out what their unknown coins are, but you get a lot of that on these online forums which are fun to read. The lexicon section is also quite interesting. Chris, It looks like there might be a void for Rotographic to fill, have you/they thought about expanding into the magazine sector? I agree that Coin News is not my cup of tea, and I would also subscribe to something a bit more interesting!!

Red, Thanks for the offer, it really is genuinely appreciated. I have read other books on conservation, and through the detecting have "dabbled" a bit, but was interested to see what the general consensus would be from collectors on how they would approach this particular coin.

Peter, I find myself redefining what I class as a variety all the time. It is difficult to know where to darw the line. That is why I always appreciate feedback on the site, to ensure it does not become unuseable or unreliable/innaccurate. As you say it is so hard to part with a coin that is different, but it is a case of needs must sometimes I also upgrade when I can but I know I will never complete my collection to 100%. (Me Too ) I must admit I did not purchase the G over G as a coin to sit in my collection, but just as a temporary opportunity to view one first hand, and if the verdigris removal left a reasonable example then I had lost nothing. At that price I thought it was worth a gamble. I have to admit I also generally steer clear of coins with this level of corrosion but curiosity got the better of me!! Yes the 1842 was a great find, and an opportunity I fear I will live to regret not taking myself, but only time will tell. "A while back on US Ebay a seller had a 2 G's over calling it an EF 1874 H (at best NVF) it was going for about $10 I whammed $350 and went to bed dreaming of a $11 bargain" - Lucky you, I stayed up to watch it and got outbid, boy it was a long wait!! Even worse when you don't win!! My collection is quite limited regarding George II and earlier, but I find myself drawn towards them more and more (I must resist!!) I am always interested in swaps, the selling is mainly to move duplicates etc, but my aim is to collect not deal, so I would always consider swaps. Let me know what you are after, I have recently bagged a few purchases which are going to result in some duplicates needing to be re-homed. For those of you interested in the G over G, I gave it a rinse yesterday and have scanned it at each stage, to record the difference. It is currently sitting in olive oil, to try and soften some of the verdigris, but I don't hold out much hope. It is such a shame that the coin is corroded, the hair detail on the coin is really sharp for an 1874H which do tend to be notoriously weak. I will update you on progress.

I know as a general rule I would always recommend against cleaning coins, but I recently purchased an 1874 G over sideways G on Ebay and am seriously considering cleaning options. The coin in question is item no 300179553874. It is heavily encrusted with hard verdigris although the areas of the coin that do not have the corrosion issues do show a good level of detail. I know the removal of the verdigris will undoubtedly result in a pitted area being left, and ultimately may make the coin worse appearance wise than it is at present. I am willing to gamble on this one due to the level of corrosion, and the fact that the coin will be remaining with me for the foreseeable future, but I would be interested to hear in what others think of the following: A. Should I leave it as is and accept it in its current state, or risk the clean? B.What method of cleaning should I try if I do decide to do the clean? 1 - Electrolysis - Previously I have used electrolysis on detecting finds that were "lost causes", but that always affects the entire surface of the coin and whilst it will remove a majority of the verdigris it will give the coin the "polished" look and would probably lower the level of detail across the coin 2 - Oil - The long term oil soak from my experience usually results in a minimal improvement, but should not affect the stable areas of the coin 3 - Spot cleaning - Using a plastic pick & magnifying glass to try and prise away the verdigris. Never really tried this method previously. 4 - Other such as chemical dip etc. Common sense would say 2 then 3 then re-assess but I am interested in the general opinions anyway. Don't all shout at me at once

There could be many reasons for the effect you are getting, some are: How did you handle the coin, if your skin came into contact with the surface of the coin, this can start a chemical reaction, which can result in fingerprints/smears becoming visible. Ideally proofs should only be handled with cotton gloves or very carefully at the edges (not ideal), or through a cotton cloth (although there is more of a risk of dropping the coin). What brand/make of holder have you used? Some of the cheaper holders are suitable for circulated coins, but again can start reactions on proof coins where the clear widnow becomes pressed against the surface of a coin. How was the coin sent to you? Was it housed in anything that could have started a reaction? Are the marks definitely on the coin and not from a smear on the holder itself? There may be other reasons, but answers to the above may give an indication why.

Thanks for looking, I tried the same approach but alas no joy

This is a "variety" that had me fooled for a while and looks quite obvious by comparison of images. On George IV farthings, the lions paw looks quite weak, until the coin has light cast upon it from a different angle. Suddenly the paw becomes more pronounced and the horizon adjacent to the paw also becomes visible. I thought I had stumbled upon an obvious variety when I first noticed it, only to see that the variety disappeared when I rotated the coin on the scanner!!! I also have to agree with Teg that whilst some farthings, can be very well struck and even give a "proof like" appearance in the fields, it is a bold statement to claim with certainty that the coin in question has been struck from proof dies.

Sounds good Chris. Have you seen whats available on YouTube for numismatics, nothing educational or worth watching. I remember seeing one on coin production, I think it was a clip from the "how do they make that" series on discovery. It was very interesting seeing the process in reality.

Teg, I thought it was that coin, that was the one I was watching and going through the same decision making process, but the last two times you have decided quicker than me!!! There are a few varieties on my site that I think I will align with other references where possible, thanks for highlighting this one, I will get it changed. Congrats on the purchase

Teg, I have been keeping my eye out for a decent one of those for a while, its a nice example you have, any chance of some full scans for the site how much if you don't mind me asking? Of course you can always tell me to mind my own business!!

Maybe a statement along the lines of "your having a giraffe mate!!"

I have purchased an 1881H farthing which was quoted as being from CNG sale 45. The coin has arrived and it is indeed in a CNG flip complete with insert stating lot 2893. If anyone has a copy could they confirm whether the details match. Sale Details CNG 45, March 18, 1998, 3175 lots. Goodman Collection of Roman Republican, Part III Wobert W. Everett Collection.

Teg, I agree, it would definitely be a variety in my eyes, it at least gives me some consolation to know it has ended up in a fellow farthing collector's cabinet!! Your scan makes the coin look better than the ebay image did. Would you have any objections to me adding your images to my G2 image pool ready for that section of the site. I have that feeling you may need to assist me when that time arrives

Rob, Can I ask how much it totalled including shipping and premium? I can appreciate it is a probing & personal question, so you can tell me to mind my own business if you want I cannot believe that something that clear can remain unrecorded. You would have thought that the clarity of the error and the fact that 2 digits are involved would have put quite a premium on the variety. I know absolutely nothing about halfpennies, but I would anticipate that placed in fromt of the correct buyer it may be worth more than you think. I would almost guarantee that if it was re-sold through the same auction house with the error highlighted and listed it would have fetched considerably more, especially when you consider the American error collectors!!

Oh no not that one again!!

All, I recently purchased this 1902 Model half farthing, because it was different from others I have seen/owned, in that the reverse bears the legend "jubilee model" as opposed to the usual "coronation model". The fact that Ed7's reign was so short makes you wonder why they were produced. I know we are all aware of the standard silver and gold jubilees, but is there a bronze jubilee that was celebrated for Edward or is it a mule of the standard jubilee reverse that is present on the matching Victoria versions, or is there some other explanation? Images attached, all comments welcome!!

I have enough trouble reading the wavy letters anyway, they would probably end up with more incorrect attempts than correct ones if I had a go!!!

I still can't believe they missed an overdate that clear when preparing the auction. Congrats on a great find, nothing quite like the buzz of bagging a bargain. I aslo echo Art's comments, it is a beauty of a coin!!!