Question About "English Silver Coinage" - ESC 7, Bull

[VickySilver]

OK, I just got my 7th Edition ESC (2020) and have looked at it for a bit. Not sure if I agree with all of the designations and have found more deficits in the proof and pattern section of the 20th C. pre-decimal series. One thing I notice is a referral to "page 657" in several places and note that the volume ends at page 597, or at least in this copy. 

Also I noticed that there is not the reference section related to Provenance the way there was in 6th Edition pp. 583-647. That was hugely helpful, does anyone know if this was somehow left out or just what happened?  Maybe my edition is somehow short of this...

[Sword]

These issues aside, is it worth getting the 7th edition if you have the 6th? From what I have read about the book, they are now including current prices. Are these simply based on the Spink catalogue with guess work on the less common varieties? Considering that the 6th edition came out not so long ago, it can appear that they are milking it somewhat. 

[VickySilver]

Well first let me say that there are no prices listed. IMHO the latest is not even as good as the 6th edition primarily because I have seen very little added and the loss of the provenance section. 

I hope someone else can confirm that their copy does not included the latter. Also some of the "varieties" may or not be agreed upon by others. BTW I got mine from Abe books as there was some kind of clearance and I got the book to the USA for about SIX POUNDS! I thought they had made an error and so jumped on it but it appears that the coin is legit.

Not that I am counting (but I am), but the 7th edition has 597 pages and the 6th edition has 662 pages....

[VickySilver]

Sorry, that the book, not the coin, is legit or the real deal. Where or where is the provenance section and where the heck is page 657 when the book only goes up to page 597?

[Paulus]

Sounds like a bum issue to me, return it

[Mr T]

13 hours ago, VickySilver said:

IMHO the latest is not even as good as the 6th edition primarily because I have seen very little added and the loss of the provenance section. 

Was anything of interest added?

[VickySilver]

Ah even with shipping, tax, etc. it was USD 8.00

 

 On a few listings they modified or added just a bit, as with the example of the controversial 1924 3d specimen satin coin. I know for a fact that a very prominent expert has been turned back by both NGC and PCGS. I gave support to no avail....

[VickySilver]

Aha. It appears there are TWO types of 7th edition. One with Cromwell on the cover has supposedly 672 pages and a provenance section that either has or lists sources of pictures for scarcer types.

The other (that I got) and more generally available has the Gothic Crown on the cover and has only 597 pages with no provenances. Crap, I wanted the more complete edition; I have NOT been able to find a different Library of Congress number...

[Sword]

I just don't understand what is going on with the new ESC. Someone has left a review about the stupidity of having two different "7th editions".

https://www.amazon.co.uk/English-Silver-Coinage-Maurice-Bull/product-reviews/1912667495/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_show_all_btm?ie=UTF8&reviewerType=all_reviews

Why would Spink want to do that in the first place? Strangely, the Spink website only has the apparently abridged "Gothic Crown" version. If having the two different versions was an error, then surely Spink would now be selling the full version only. 

 

[VickySilver]

I don't either and the provenance section was possibly the very best part. Allegedly there is a pricing schema in the Cromwell full edition that is not in the Gothic one.

[Rob]

I think I'll wait for a later version - which may well not be the 8th edition. Better still, just use my own database.

[VickySilver]

Yes, I would even though mine was cheap. 

[VickySilver]

I had to laugh at an example listing in Bull:

 

ESC(Bull) 2736 -                 1853 Proof Halfcrown.   R3

ESC(Bull) 2738 -                 1862 Proof Halfcrown, Plain edge.   R2

 

That is pure craziness as the latter coin is likely an R4 and the former an R2. I pointed out the example as there are some listings where he has me a bit irritated.....His 20th century listings are IMHO a bit off as well and will just leave it at that.