thanasis

Hello forum! I was recently checking out a local auction house's upcoming auction and stumbled upon a listing of an 1821 Crown. URL: https://www.karamitsos.com/auctionLot.php?auction=7182&lot=564327 NGC Cert URL: https://www.ngccoin.com/certlookup/6633274-006/62/ The coin is graded by NGC as MS62. However, after looking at the reverse, I find it hard to believe that this coin could pass up as MS62 considering the wear (or scuff marks perhaps?) on St. George's chest. I have seen much better examples for the same grade. Maybe the grader has given more attention on the obverse rather the reverse? What are your thoughts? Below is the photo of the coin:

Hello forum! 🖐️ It's been a long time since my last visit here and I 'm back again posting one more topic on (what else?) sovereigns. Here is a listing of a sovereign on a well known website called catawiki. URL: https://www.catawiki.com/en/l/65619887-australia-sovereign-1923-p-georg-v Seeing St. George reminds me of Robocop...🤣 What do you think? Cheers!

@ArgentSmith It was an auction from Europe, I think France, although I didn't keep a record of it. 😞 @LawrenceChard Yes, I noticed these mould "flash lines", too, but I thought that maybe it was caused by the photo angle. Any idea what causes them? @Petra As @Zhorro said, the book by Mr. Marsh is an excellent addition to the library of any gold sovereign enthusiast. I would also like to add another source that has helped me immensely and gave me a more in-depth knowledge concerning sovereigns: Look for "The Bentley Collection of British Milled Sovereigns" catalogs (Part 1 ,2 & 3), which can be found on the Baldwin's website for free. 😉 You will get lost in the variety that the sovereign has to offer...😮 @Petra Now, you can thank me for all the info, by providing more photos of the doggo...☺️

@Petra Sure! 1) First of all, the dates 1916 (London mint - no mint mark) and 1911-C are quite scarce, so when you see them come up you should be wary and examine if they are fake. Of course it could be a batch of hoarded sovereigns which are genuine, although there is a very low possibility of that happening. 2) You can notice that some of them have a date of 1919 with no mint mark, therefore London mint. That can't be correct, since London sovereigns weren't minted that year. 3) On some of the coins there seems to be an "B.B.P." instead of "B.P.". 4) Details on the coins. Some examples are: a) 1st photo, 1st row, 1st coin from the left: The sword and leg of St. George lack detail and seems to be "integrated" into the body of the horse. There should have been clear lines and details on both the aforementioned parts. b) 1st photo, 2nd row, 2nd coin from the right: Details are all wrong, although I would say that the leg and hair streamer of St. George seem to stand out. c) 1st photo, 2nd row, 3rd coin from the right: Details are absent and also the date "1916" looks like it was vertically "squeezed". d) 1st photo, 3rd row, 3rd coin from the right: Again the details are all wrong, of which the belly of St. George and also the details on the dragon stand out. Plus, under the dragon there is a "canyon", which shouldn't be there. These are some of the many wrong things that I can tell you on the spot. Using a photo of an original sovereign will help you greatly in comparing and identifying the wrong thing you see. Cheers!

Hello forum! Today I would like to share some photos from 2 auction lots I found some time ago. The lots consist only of sovereigns, and in my opinion the vast majority of them (if not all!) are counterfeit. Since most members here on the forum collect/stack them, I would like to add some more pictures on the "fake sovereign" database, so that people may get more information of what's out there. Enjoy the photos!

@CollectForFun Fake as in lower gold content, therefore not an authentic sov...

I call FAKE! The first two pictures are the coin the seller is probably(?) advertising. The other two I have seen on the site of @Allgoldcoins with the following URL: https://www.allgoldcoins.co.uk/products/1845-queen-victoria-shield-reverse-sovereign?_pos=1&_sid=373c9493c&_ss=r It seems to be the exact same item. I also don't know if there are any copyright issues, but apart from that, using photos of items that don't belong to you seems fishy.

Well, he had it checked and it seems that it is a FAKE, so.....😭

Hello forum! A family relative of mine has a 1928-M sovereign and is wondering whether or not it's genuine. He sent me some photos for me to look at the details, although I really can't tell from these ☹️ The only example that I found which resembles the sovereign exactly, was on this page from a bullion dealer: https://www.bullionbypost.eu/gold-sovereign-specific-year/george-v-1911-1932/1928-gold-sovereign-king-george-v-m/ So, if the sovereign is fake, that means that a bullion dealer advertises one with a photo of a fake...😮 I am uploading the photos to see for yourselves.

Hello forum! I stumbled upon a George IV £2 coin dated 1823 on a website and I found it to be quite superb!😊 However, I am not an expert on numismatics and I would like an opinion on its (approximate) grade, so as to know whether or not it is worth its price tag (~€4,000). Based on the photos alone I would say it is between the range of MS60 to MS63, although I could be terribly wrong!😵 I am uploading the photos so that you can grade for yourselves!

@CollectForFun Well yeah. I saw this piece on a local trading list and just wanted to post it here on the forum for the members to judge if it is genuine or not. If it isn't, well then the people that may be interested in buying such a piece, can learn more about the counterfeits that are circulating. @DuncanWylieWilson Thank you very much for your info! I am not interested in buying that piece, although do you think you could put a rough estimate its value?

Hello forum! I saw this listing of a private seller on one of the local trading websites. I wanted to upload it for educational purposes, as many listings from private sellers need to be examined very closely. So, I am asking any members with experience to tell us their opinion on this coin. 😉

Thank you all for your feedback! Very informative. @GoldDiggerDave When you say "weak strike" are you referring to the height of the relief in comparison to the fields, thus the overall detail?

Hello forum! I was recently offered a 1911 £5 Sovereign from a private seller, who also sent me the photos. I am not an expert, but with my limited experience I think it is real, although a bit worn on the highest points. Can you please offer your knowledge on this piece?

So for example if it rated S or R it's worth some extra premium... Can you give me some examples of your own collection? @jultorsk Sorry, can't view the content you posted, cuz I don't have permission to see it ☹️

Hello forum! I was browsing the other day several websites who sell sovereigns and I saw that the George V sovereigns have a considerable premium, if you choose to buy specific year ones. So why do they cost so much? Also, if I buy the George V random date bullion ones for a much lower price, won't I get some sovs that are more premium-y? Cheers, Thanasis

@CosmikDebris It has an "Undecimo" edge inscription. @LawrenceChard Really, Michael Hunt (=Mike Hunt 🤣). So there is a story about him? Do tell.... Thanks for the info on silver coins 😎 @CollectorNo1Well, Mike asked for no money, but only the chance to redeem his name 😵 @SidSSolid point. I guess asking for more photos or even better seeing it oneself is the way to go...

Thank you everyone for your input! I suppose @Stuntman gave me great advice concerning the best course of action on this. @LawrenceChardYes indeed! I have thought about it, too! So if anyone is interested for the seller's name I will tell them is Mike Litoris...😁 As for the coin, does anyone have any experience with fake ones and certain telltale signs? Not necessarily for this specimen, but things to look out for in old silver coins?

Hello forum, Recently I came across a seller who is offering a Victoria Gothic Silver Crown. Seeing as I don't have much experience, I would like you to help me determine whether or not this piece is authentic. I am uploading the photos for you to examine the coin.

Hello forum, As the title suggests, I was wondering about the weight of the gold sovereign. From what I have read, the weight limit for a sovereign to be considered underweight is 7.93787g, which is more commonly rounded up to 7.94g. Therefore, keeping in mind the correct weight of the sovereign which is 7.988g, that makes a 0.6% difference. So, my questions are these: 1. At what point can we 'safely' pick a sovereign based on its weight? 2. Do you have a sovereign that is underweight in your collection? 3. Do some sovereigns, for example William IV or George III ones keep their premium despite being underweight? 4. At what point does the level of wear indicate a significant loss in weight? 5. Also, concerning other types of gold coins, does the % difference differ, or is the same 0.6% as the sovereign? For example if I wanna buy a French 20 Francs gold coin (6.45161g and 90% fineness), does the same percentage apply? Sorry if you find these questions too many. Take your time and enjoy this beautiful George V gold Proof £5 sovereign! 😊

@danmc82 Private seller

Yeah @dicker, I have seen this video too. As you can see it was before @LawrenceChard got his sixpack. 😄

Hello forum, Today I got in contact with a seller who is offering a 1917-P Sovereign and I asked him to send me some photos. Well, I must admit that I am still a novice on spotting fakes and the quality of the photos he offered me doesn't really help, although when I look at the photos, the rim, especially on the reverse, looks quite wrong to me. In some places it's too thick and also the toothed border lacks its sharpness. What's your opinion?

Hello forum! I'm thinking of purchasing a micrometer for testing the authenticity of sovereigns and I'm closing at this particular one: Mitutoyo MIT 103-177 Micrometer What is your opinion? Also, I would like to ask if the spindle of a micrometer plays any significant role. The spindle of this micrometer is flat and I don't know if I will be able to take good measurements from different surfaces (mostly uneven).

@richatthecroftYeah I also thought that 680£ is a silly price especially for that grade, concerning what @Clockpuncher said that modern proof should be graded at least PF69. I'm like "B*tch it's a 2005 coin, not a 1825 one" 😄. That being said I also checked another listing of this seller and he was selling a 1990 sovereign for 480£, which had a note by NGC as ***NOT ENCAPSULATED*** / RESIDUE. I'm guessing a silly price as well and this guy is just a small-time scammer taking advantage of people's ignorance.