jelida

I tend to follow this ‘poll of polls’ which tracks polls throughout Europe. https://pollofpolls.eu/GB But take all polls with a pinch of salt. Don’t forget that the last poll released before the 2016 referendum gave ‘Remain’ a near 10% lead. Jerry

This coin with the same story was for sale on EBay several times a couple of years ago, and featured on this site. It subsequently appeared with hype for sale via a conventional South Wales auction house (Dragon Auctions, or some similar name). After I sent them links to his EBay sale attempts, and to discussion on this forum , they sent me a pleasant email and withdrew the coin from sale. The story is of course total tosh, it is a modern Chinese replica, though he possibly paid too much for it himself if he did indeed buy it in Caerphilly and was taken in by the vendors stated provenance. Jerry

It appears to have a core exposed in places which is subject to bronze disease, therefore a copper alloy. I wonder if (in common with many contemporary denarius forgeries) it is made from a high tin bronze, possibly the surface tin enriched by copper leaching. High tin bronze looks passably silver when polished. I have previously found forgery denarii of very similar appearance, and suspect this is a late Mediaeval equivalent , being a copy of a groat or half groat. Tin plating on copper alloy is another possibility. It does not look modern to me. Jerry

I see it is “already marked as a red hot collectible”. Every opportunity to get your fingers burned then. Jerry

That’s a blow, is the “details” statement justified in the hand? If not, break it out! I would not want a handsome coin condemned in print by somebody else’s opinion! And paying for the privilege! One more reason I would not use TPG’s. Jerry

True, the serif does very much look like an afterthought especially in the second and third versions shown. The serif in the first image does look far more conventional. I wonder whether there was ever a ‘no serif’ die. Jerry

The fact that there are three subtlety different ‘open three’’s in 1863 would suggest that this was a deliberate experiment and not a one-off mistake, though I cannot tie it in with the 1903. I suppose it could have been an alternative way of marking individual dies, more subtle than die numbers in what clearly was a year for study/experimentation. But I am not aware of any serious study on the topic. Jerry

There seems to be a never ending supply of this sort of bollox on EBay. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RAREST-VALUABLE-one-of-a-kind-1971-1p-Penny-THE-VALENTINE-FRANKEN-PENNY/192837875655?hash=item2ce60877c7:g:6XIAAOSw78xcZaZH Another example of tape and acid dip. I am surprised he’s not also referring to it being an ultra rare ‘NEW PENNY’ 1971 coin as well. Jerry

You’re like the genie from the lamp! Nice to hear from you, hope all is well in Oz. You have my best mate and his wife over there somewhere at the moment, so be very careful in traffic or crossing the road, especially after the bars are open! Jerry

It is also I suspect a fake. It has the tiny rim nick above the trefoil after GRATIA that seems diagnostic. https://www.coincommunity.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=146846 And I think other features. Of course this was always the likely option, how would a girl who works in Greggs and can’t get a loan be in possession of a genuine Gothic Crown? And the toning is deeply suspicious. Jerry

It reads Maximinus, the emperor Maximian, very similar to this one on EBay, but of the Sisca mint I think. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/372111800526?ul_ref=http%3A%2F%2Frover.ebay.com%2Frover%2F1%2F710-53481-19255-0%2F1%3Ficep_ff3%3D2%26pub%3D5574660663%26toolid%3D10001%26campid%3D5336443428%26customid%3Ddms_71347%26icep_item%3D372111800526%26icep_catId%3D4734%26ipn%3Dpsmain%26icep_vectorid%3D229508%26kwid%3D902099%26mtid%3D824%26kw%3Dlg%26srcrot%3D710-53481-19255-0%26rvr_id%3D1853282496071%26rvr_ts%3Dd8520ace1680a99b8865791efff28c19&ul_noapp=true It looks perfectly genuine to me, lovely surfaces like coins I have found in the mud of the Severn estuary. Jerry

The real Royal Mint mistake here is to assume the population has any common sense whatsoever! https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Royal-Mint-Mistake-New-1-Penny/132934242203?hash=item1ef37f8f9b:g:cFsAAOSwXh9cUHo- Jerry

I’ve had some nice presents from him in the past. Well not absolute presents, but very fair prices. Thank you Santa! Jerry

Thanks, Terry. I think the jury is out until a high grade example is found. But would I pay decent money for it.........? No. Jerry

Do you have some decent microscope close-ups of the A, Terry? Richards example does have a definite slight indentation on the left arm of the A where the crossbar should join, suggesting perhaps a slight bulge in the material impacted in the bar, though it is very difficult to be certain either way from these photos. I don’t think I’d be convinced except by examining a high grade coin. Even then it is suggested (see Gouby) that repairs to letters often used partial punches such as an L punch to repair the base of an E, are these varieties too? They may be interesting curiosities, but to me this is an example where we should be wary of conferring varietal status without clear evidence. Jerry

I was looking through Santa’s “heads ‘n tails” site earlier and the “ inverted V for A in Victoria “ obverse Freeman 10 caught my eye. As Santa asks, does it exist? As a true variety, I think not. Certainly F10 pennies with an absent bar to the A do exist, but I feel it is highly likely they simply represent die fill for the following reason. The working dies used to strike coins of a particular design can be used in their hundreds depending on die longevity and coin demand, and will themselves each be struck from the master die. The master die includes the lettering on the coin, though not necessarily all the digits. Master dies can last years preparing many hundreds of working dies depending on demand. Freeman obverse 2 exhibited mal-alignment of the letters in BRITT, a master die or hub issue transferred to many working dies. Look how long the Freeman obverse 6 master with the flawed colon after D:G: lasted- years! The point I am making is that an obverse 2 working die could not have been made with an absent A unless that featured on the master, which is unlikely. Therefore there would be no need to erroneously enter the A on the working die using an inverted V punch, the bar of the A can only disappear through die fill, and an absent bar cannot be taken as evidence of use of a V punch any more than the absent bar of the E in an ONF penny implies use of an F punch. Both these are spurious varieties. The majority of the true minor varieties that we see are are the result of something added rather than something absent, re-engraving of design or erroneous letter or number repair while trying to prolong die life. Or indeed sometimes deliberate overstrikes to the date for re-use in later years. Opinions please! Jerry

Stans, invest in a jewellers scales, sometimes they can provide a definitive answer, and are not expensive. It is true that the forgers dies may well have been made from a flawed genuine coin, but milled sixpence are not difficult to find and this coin will always be more difficult to sell on from photographs because of the doubts. Bring your money to a coin fair! Jerry

Just be happy to get your money back. Some of the coins illustrated above clearly have casting bubbles (and are underweight) and if those are fake then so most likely are the rest. There is no description of these flaws in the BNJ die variety article page shown to which the vendor refers .Sadly the vendor may have significant investment in this coin which he may be reluctant to write off. Jerry

While not every ‘private listing’ seller is of dubious character, those of poor character almost invariably make their listings private. As suggested I suspect this is to enable shill bidding. There is no need for it. Jerry

I’m afraid it’s a modern fake. http://www.predecimal.com/forum/topic/12367-light-1562-sixpence/ Jerry

Any chance you can accurately weigh it? As far as the pics go it looks OK to me, though I don’t consider myself expert on these. Jerry

I think it is worth some better pics here. I am not sure about the underlying ‘small’ letters and numbers we often see with overstrikes and repairs, I do wonder if the worn digits were closed in slightly by working the die prior to punching the repair to ensure the repair is sharp. Any evidence of this would likely subsequently be removed by polishing the die to restore the field. I think this example could simply be due fill. The vertical leg of the Y looks short compared to the V section. Jerry

Another Ebay purchase I am pleased with arrived yesterday, surprised there were not more bidders as got it for £70. Nice F18, not advertised as such and much better than most, fairly worn dies as usual but little wear and a nice tone. Jerry

I’m just going to hang on in the hope of finding one in change, just think how rare CIRCULATED examples will be! Jerry

Indeed! And free vendors fingerprint on the obverse from taking the photo! You can’t treat a proof like that! Jerry