jelida

You wont want to be paying postage on that lot! Where are you based? Jerry

All small date 1875 are ja, so quite easy to find an example to compare with a small date 1874. Jerry

I tend to look at the back of the helmet which is concave on earlier reverses but very slightly convex on the ja, the body of the helmet below the plume is also more bulbous. Best compared side by side. Jerry

Gosh! But sorry, not for sale. Will keep my eyes open. Jerry

I was pleased to find this for £35 at the recent Midland Coin Fair, it appears to be a Freeman 72 with the Gouby ja reverse, and it fills a gap within my budget. Gouby values it more than the standard F72, but as a newly described variety appears hesitant in ascribing a rarity: in the opinion of the penny experts on this forum, what level of Freeman rarity would be likely? Is it still scarcer than the norm? As you can see from the scans, it is probably GVF or therabouts. Jerry

This vendor has some nice shiny pennies with time on their hands http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1902-King-Edaward-VII-BRONZE-penny-Unc-Very-nice-tone-Loads-Of-Leisure-/301653011807?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item463bebad5f Jerry

I'll be at the Midland Coin Fair, it would be nice to put faces to names, what name do you trade under? (Looking at a list from earlier this year) Jerry

Sadly the £3 possible 'open 3' 1863 on Ebay turned out to be just another photo illusion, however here is one that I got for a fiver at the last midland coin fair. Just how common is this type ? Is it simply a case of them not previously being recognized, but being fairly plentiful in reality? Or are they truly as scarce as LCA prices might suggest? I have found two over the past 4 months, a 2 Euro one on Ebay and the one above, neither better than VG condition, but I hold out hopes of one in fine or better eventually. Have the other penny buffs on this forum come across them? Jerry

And I've been seething over this one for several days, but now its finished I can't spoil anybodies anticipation. THIS IS NOT AN OPEN 3 ! This is the same seller who has given us a selection of mis-identified rarities over the last couple of months,and made good money; we have already discussed his 1860 mule penny, for example. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/331533723405?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT Any collector aware of the variety should really check in Gouby before wasting his money, the variety identifiers are clearly described, and not present in this coin. And I didn't wish to draw attention to the type until an auction had completed on one that I think might be (at less than £3, a reasonable gamble, will update if correct). Jerry

How on earth does someone think this is reasonable............? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1866-Victoria-Penny-/221755018337?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item33a1a10c61 Jerry

NGC grades counter-stamped coins based on the counter-stamp, not the host coin. Bizarre though don't you think, as both are relevant to a collector and as to value?Not really bizarre , it is the counterstamp that gave monetary status as a 'British' coin, and to a collector of British coins the clock starts ticking when the counterstamp is applied. Of course there is some added value if the original coin is pleasing. Jerry

Hmmmmm....after first altering his description to state 'this is not a mule' he has revised it again , weasel words stating that it is in fact a mule, and imposing a BIN of £500. What planet.......? Jerry

Is this really worth more than face value? Cant see this 'error' having happened in the mint. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/one-penny-error-/221716957436?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item339f5c48fc Jerry

Perfect ..... more an ass I see that some-one has put him right, and he has changed his description. Still asking £200 though. Jerry

I remember being told many years ago that Georgian halfpennies were often forged (contemporaneously) using 'impossible' dates, the argument being that ' if a genuine one doesn't exist, how can this be a forgery'? I'm not sure how true that is, but perhaps that was the principle here. Don't suppose the argument held much weight in the courts, though. Jerry

Yes, certainly not a mule, more of an ass! How can the vendor, being aware of the variety, get it so wrong? I suppose on the positive side, anyone looking to spend £200 in this series would not be caught out...........? I did note the coin you posted, Prax, but at least yours was in good condition and therefore worthy of collecting as an example of impaired striking at the mint. I must admit that I take Freeman's comment re the weak striking at the teeth (and sometimes the L.C.Wyon below the bust) and the resulting occasional appearance of a section of 'beads' as a warning against the confusion demonstrated by the vendor, rather than a suggestion of varietal merits. Jerry

How about this one? Does it rattle your beads? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121587221215?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT Jerry

I guess its a question of reputation. No art gallery owner would want to fill his gallery with talentless tatt, even if there was money in it, his reputation would suffer. The antique dealer wants top quality as his showcase to draw people in. The slabs are the showcase of these companies, what is in them matters, and not just the accuracy of grading. I appreciate that a profit has to be made , but at what long-term cost? The reputation of slabbing companies seems low already on this forum. At least the ridiculous idea of a slabbed coin attracting a premium might take a knock. Jerry

It gets worse , I've just looked at his other items, he has seven coins all slabbed within ten serial numbers, none will come near to the cost. Somebody has wasted a lot of money. Shouldnt the grading company have taken pity and simply sent the batch back? It makes a mockery of the whole slabbing system. Jerry

Not really sure its Ebays' worst, but certainly a strange one; how much does slabbing cost again............? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1944-Penny-coin-Freeman-229-grading-UK-CGS-Cleaned-F-/301537035640?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item4635020578 Jerry

Looks more die flaw than overstrike to me. But still interesting. Jerry

The weight of evidence seems to be stacking up for at least two genuine die pairings, or at least substantial die repair/ re-engraving, demonstrated in the differing draperies. It will be interesting to see if any 'evolution' in terms of wear to the die can be demonstrated as other examples turn up. Is there in fact any definitive evidence for 'struck' forgery Northumberland shillings yet? Jerry

I've bought from Guy (coinageofengland) His coins are genuine afaik. . Which rather brings us back to the coin numismatist first posted. The two coins are clearly from the same dies, but could they both then be genuine despite the marked difference in style and execution of the drapery and lettering from the known genuine one numismatist shows us? How many dies were used in producing this rare coin? I dont know the answer, this is not my field but I would like to be able to recognise a forgery should this coin ever come my way. I hope for Guys sake it is genuine, as it would be an expensive coin to have been caught out on. Jerry

Link added. Never heard of a coin that has been "hot dead in the middle" before.I think he means 'shot dead in the middle'. At least he's offering 'collect in person' only, no postage, so the lucky winner will get to tell him face to face what a credit he is to Ebay and the numismatic world. Jerry

The folds of the drapery are quite different, they flow smoothly unlike the 'clipped sine wave' effect on the questionable coins. But can we be confident that these coins are forgeries? It seems to me suggestive that this might be the case. Jerry