zookeeperz

im off to specsavers

B Both have crossbars or as termed in the book inverted A's

The blue were struck at the festival itself. so we can get them out of the way. the other two colours if there were three would mean they were struck at the mint itself for non festival visitors . perhaps the guy meant purple/burgundy. I haven't seen any blue ones?

Just had a scoot about and it has been touted that over 1 million were struck on the spot at the festival. Seems an extremely large amount to me can't be right. However apparently and again I find an issue with this. They were housed in blue or green cases ( no mention of the burgundy ones of which I have 4) the blue ones were Cupro-nickel . The green ones were silver. So what were the burgundy ones?

I just emailed them and asked. No harm in trying the direct route. They normally answer enquiries within 5 days. But seeing as it isn't a purchase question they might not answer at all lol

Only thing with the RM they are worse than Hogwarts for revealing secrets

Could of been to exhibit the different finishes perhaps one with both dies polished and one with only 1 die polished? Would go a long way to explain the non cameo crowns and the cameo ones?

There must be a reason why they are in different colour cases. Common sense prevailing if they were all the same only 1 colour case would of been made? Also I was of the understanding that despite the tag of proof likes the 1951 Crowns were all proofs?

Hi Irene there is a rare variety for 1976 the rare version being reverse C Probably the easiest way to spot the difference is the number 1 on the reverse on reverse C it is much closer to the border beads also the 1 itself is larger . I think there is a grammatical error as the picture in the book says rev C has larger serifs on the N's of PENNY and Longer legs. but the opening description for reverse C Which is found on the 1972 proof issue describes it completely the opposite. So I am kind of confused how to work out which is which. I would use the 1 being closer to the border beads as an obvious starting point. Hope it helps. Perhaps David could chime in on this as he wrote the book

My eye sight or did they drop the ball with this 1? Is that a weakly struck E below the bust? If so how on earth did they miss it?

British Silver Coins Since 1816 (Hardcover) take up mrb's suggestion £18 is as cheap as chips

For all things silver 19th century one of the bibles for silver coins 1816-1980 all silver and cupro issues. But best for 1816-1901. A must have book IMO and it isn't expensive. I remember a guy I met at a coin auction he must of been 508 years old well in knowledge years at least lol I said to him " what would you recommend as a first purchase" ? He half looked up at me with his eyes angled behind a pair of milk bottle thick bifocals and said "Son the first £200 purchase you should spend your hard earned on is books. Without them you will be in a dingy lost at sea" At first I thought silly old duffer what's he on about but after my first few purchases were disasters I realised why he said that. Being armed with as much knowledge as possible in the field of choice really is 50% of the battle the other 50% is a slow learning curve. I am not a big reader in fact I hate books with a passion . Probably because my mind works at breakneck speed and I find it difficult to concentrate but my memory recall is above normal not to the extent of once read never forgotten . I'll remember it all but just not in the correct order. there is a name for it probably (Rain main syndrome) . It's kind of like seeing something you liked or wanted to buy somewhere but you never made the purchase then 10 years on you see something similar. the memory comes to the fore like I had just seen it again for the first time. Sadly for me it isn't a perfect science and something are similar but are not the match I first thought. But I would be lost without the books.

Is this The 1977 V.I.P Proof?

Davies 766 4B 1879 -41 trefoils - NDN £470 Davies 767 3B 1879-48 trefoils - NDN £130 Davies 768 3B 1879-48 trefoils NDN £190 (reads britt) Davies 769 5B 1879-38 trefoils NDN £120 Obviously prices aren't current but seems of the 4 types it is the 2nd scarcest

Been looking for this Reverse B for ages. I was almost becoming to believe it was a myth lol Not a world beater but Seeing as the ones that have surfaced are normally no better than Fine . At least it is above average.

Thanks it has been bugging me for ages This is my camera https://www.amazon.co.uk/Praktica-LM20-Z35S-Camera-Black-20MP/dp/B00GM46VQ0

I could be mixing my coins . but the coins appearance also happens in other years. I will take some shots later . Very hard to show you what I see as the scope never really shows the contrast in finishes. In the hand it is obvious one has normal cartwheel luster bright and flashy. The other has the cartwheel effect but it looks like it is trying to luster through a very fine layer of sand if you get my drift . lol Sorry probably a bad explanation but that is what it looks like. There is a cartwheel effect and there is luster but it is iff it is almost hidden.

Yes I tried the copy stand which I bought for the camera but I don't like the finish. it isn't as crisp as I would like it to be with that haze around the lettering and it makes the legends look somewhat square like and the luster disappears making the coin look new but really dull and no life in the coin. My question was where do you attach an addon lens as the lens on there I assume doesn't come off? is it a case of just sticking it over the original lens?

It is definitely one of the 5 pence Coins I am thinking 1987 . I had so many 5 pence coins I could almost tell the year from the finish on the matt looking ones . It happens on 1987 for sure and it isn't as if it were the odd coin it is pretty much split but I would say more matt than lustered. I will look again and see where I read it .

Well if i use auto focus I cannot see anything it is just one big blur. And if i zoom in manually then press the flower icon with the S for super macro. the zoom is overridden and then the Macro focus will sharpen everything up but I guess being a 35mm that is all i have as a working distance?

I did read somewhere that on a certain coin and for the life of me I cannot remember there were 2 different finishes on the coin because half were struck at the royal mint and half were struck at Illastraint mint (hope I have the correct spelling) where one exhibited a more matt finish whilst the royal mint coins were shinny and lustered?

1797 Copper Penny George III .Not a world beater but wow check the edges. Unbelievable a coin so old has come through the years pretty much unscathed. Especially knowing how easy these were to take damage. So I thought it needs to be kept that way. Just gives a real sense of history and the hands it may have passed through

I found a wide rim penny But I only thought they came in the smaller denom 1967 half penny?

CGS overstep their grading scale I don't accept their grading system never have never will. I'll judge it by what I know when I see it. Even from a distant view its AEF All the raised areas are sharp front of the face and helmet ,fingers,breastplate and the scroll . Tiny rub on the ear but looking through plastic very hard to judge it properly. Plus these are notoriously weakly struck coins. Plus nothing hideous is jumping out. I'll take a pic when it arrives. I used to follow CGS grading criteria but when they became Judge,jury and executioner I changed my mind.

I reported the creep. Only for the fact when I saw the original adv there was nothing whatsoever in the descriptions that these were copies repro's or just plain fakes. He described them as an auctioneer would with all the legend wording. Who would bother to do that with fake coins. It is purely an advert to deceive so I pressed the big red buzzer (you're outta here)