richatthecroft

Received yesterday, a 1997 Golden Wedding Anniversary Crown, this one I had marked off my list, but I actually didn’t have one! The Churchill is another welcome addition and the Victoria 200th Anniversary Piedfort will sit next to my existing £5 and the Alfred £5 will join Alfred’s larger Piedfort Brother. Getting near the target of a run of Decimal Elizabeth II £5 Silver Proof Crowns from 1972- just 7 more individual coins to go, for the run of the 83 I have chosen to collect. Here’s the 7 left to collect:

Anyway, I’ve hijacked @lxy70713’s thread enough-l’m afraid no- one has won a Goldfish- the 1935 Proof Crown got a PF63 Cameo. I think this is harsh- but I would say that wouldn’t I !!! But it goes to show how difficult it is to appraise and Grade coins- I thought it might have got a PF65 and hopeful of Ultra Cameo- but it makes no odds what grade it achieved- it’s a lovely looking Crown 😊 Well done @Arganto you were correct with the Cameo designation 😃 And @sovereignsteve no, the marks aren’t as apparent in hand as the photos 👍

Cameo or Ultra Cameo? I agree with you to a certain extent, I keep my Silver coins raw in a cabinet so I can occasionally pick them up and view them up close however, I think grading the older Proof coins is prudent, so as not to have an accident and potentially cause damage. The lighting on the shiny photographs was just the January daylight. The photos showing off the Cameo on the coin was under a table lamp and the body of my iPhone shadowing the coin.

70 Mintage, a unique Platinum Jubilee year, and a Pattern Sovereign- and one of the most collected coins in the World, as well as a lovely design- I think over time £31k and more, will be commonplace.

I bought the Sovereign just over a year ago, it was already graded and it’s designated plain old MS. I only sent it back to NGC as the holder was scratched and the plastic looked somewhat opaque. @lxy70713 In terms of your original question, personally, I think redress with the dealer you bought it from has long since passed. If it had returned from NGC ungraded and described as a counterfeit than yes, but 6 months on, I think not. You also stated earlier on in the thread that you were happy with the coins you bought on receipt of them. Like others have said here, I believe that attributing a grade to a coin is subjective, and if I hadn’t disclosed what grade my 1817 and asked for opinions, then there would be many different responses, you commented that you thought it was Prooflike. it isn’t when you see it in hand. However, in terms of third party grading, I think the appraisal process is tightened up somewhat, as the person grading the coin has no financial or emotional attachment to the coin and I believe that three people are involved in the grade that eventually gets assigned. Do I think grading by NGC/ PCGS is a panacea? No, but it’s certainly more objective, in my opinion- but it’s not infallible. I recently got a ‘details’ designation on an early Sovereign which I disagree with, I also received a Cameo designation on a 1911 Proof Half Sovereign that I think was extremely harsh, but in my experience, the grading companies do get the grades assigned reasonably consistent. @lxy70713 you also said earlier in the thread that you would find it difficult to be able to appraise older and historic coins- I find this difficult too, and buying pre- graded is the way to go and takes the doubt away somewhat. If I save up and I am ready to buy a coin out of my comfort zone, I tend to use one particularly dealer that I have dealt with on many occasions, he knows what quality I like and want, and I can trust his verbal appraisal of what I’m interested in buying with a photo or two- he usually sends me the coin on approval- ‘pay if you like it’ or ‘return it’. I absolutely know that when I’m buying a coin that’s not an everyday coin for me, and out my comfort zone I will pay a small percentage more for my coins from this particular dealer- but I haven’t been let down with what I have bought from him. By the way, I bought my 1817 from the same dealer, and at the time he had a raw example for around the same money as the MS62, and he was keen for me to buy the raw example- I bought the pre- graded as I liked the eye appeal- but he thought the raw one was a far better grade! Grading is subjective. As a parting shot- I bought this 1935 Proof Crown with Raised Edge Lettering from my ‘go to’ dealer- it’s just come back from NGC- what grade do people think it got? Bet there’s quite a spread of numbers and designations.

I wish it was! - no it’s just the currency issue.

Here’s my 1817 to compare- it’s NGC graded MS62- it’s just back from NGC after re- holdering, as the slab was scratched.

I had made a decision to omit the Olympic & Remembrance Day issues in my quest for my run of £5 Silver Proof Crown issues, but I was tempted by a bulk buy. Another Rabbit hole 🙄 These, along with a duplicate 200th Victoria Anniversary, my existing one graded but this raw coin will fit more readily in my cabinet.

I’m not sure on the remainder- I chiefly concentrate on Crowns. Perhaps @matt1r or @DuncanWylieWilson might be able to help. You need a book. This is perhaps the best way to help yourself is to buy a good book- below from Spink, Coins of England 2020. The price guide from left to right is: Fair; VF, EF & Bu. For example- there are two varieties of the 1889- and a huge disparity in prices- so for that particular coin it could be a bargain- or not! and also, the grades the dealer has attributed might not be accurate.

If the 1937’s are currency issues and Uncirculated then £25 to £30 is fair in my opinion. Looks to be on the large side, so likely it’s not - but if that’s a Silver Sovereign case then that’s an interesting item 😃 The pair of pot Dogs look great together too- a hunting pair, all you need is a Hound and a Terrier and your in business 👍

😂 Agreed- not quite as grim as the William & Kate- which is none the better for the Gold plate over Silver 🤮 Collecting a run of Crowns is not for the feint hearted 😝 Not sure how the designer could make one of the most beautiful women look like a Crack addict 😳

Some more £5 Silver Proof’s. The Royal Birth coins are Bergdahl designed and a nice design. The Sapphire Jubilee is a duplicate- but also a lovely design as is the Century of the House of Windsor. And taking the rough with the smooth in this batch- a design monstrosity of the Royal Wedding.

Commemorating Her Majesty’s 90th Birthday this is a lovely 5oz Silver Proof coin. I’m not keen on these rather silly looking oversized slabs, but there’s always the hammer.

We love the French! An Entente Cordiale Crown & some Jubilee stragglers- the 1/4oz Gold is lovely 😊 And a Monarch also dropped by today. Phew, the Jubilee arrivals conclude my Platinum Jubilee coin celebration- lovely coins, each and every one of them 😃

I didn’t either- in fact, when I first saw it I dubbed it akin to like what you would see as a ‘funeral coin’ or death commemorative! but it grew on me and I took the plunge. I didn’t take the lid off the capsule on my 5oz, but at some point I will and take an angled snap of the relief on it.

Received this lovely Bergdahl designed 5oz Platinum Jubilee £10 coin today.

Also today, an absolutely beautiful 1953 Coronation Set. You can see the underlying brilliance shining through the haze, and the coins have a Cameo as thick as treacle- this is the nicest 1953 set I’ve had in my hands, and I already own what I thought was a fantastic example.

More £5 Crowns today. I do like the poignant edge Inscription on the Trafalgar coins. The 40th Anniversary of the Coronation is a nice upgrade, as my existing example lacked Cameo. And collecting a date run of £5’s/ Crowns isn’t always a joy, and you have to be prepared to take the rough with the smith, as can be seen by the less than desirable Charles’ 50th Birthday Crown.

Likely returned coins- I can only put two in my basket, so not a large volume available.

A couple more Silver £5 Crowns and a Piedfort £5 Alfred The Great.

To be fair, you did well getting one of those alphabet 10p’s- I’ve never seen a circulating one!

A very nice 1935 Specimen issue King George V Crown along with its Royal Mint card presentation case. And also today, a lovely 1977 Jubilee Crown, thanks @Ales for this one.

I believe they were released into circulation two or three weeks ago- I got one in my change a week ago.

Agreed on that hideous crushed velour finish of the Millennium Silver Set- I bought one only to liberate the Maundy Money into my collection- I was shocked by the presentation, it was like a 70's throwback-I can only think at the time, the product manager was on Acid- At least it was a blue crushed velour, could have been worse, it might have been Daytona Yellow like my Ford Cortina.

Thanks @tallthinkev for the Silver Proof £5 George III commemorative. And also received today a Silver Proof £5 Henry VIII commemorative and a 1972 Silver Proof Crown commemorating the Queen’s Silver Wedding Anniversary, still sealed in its RM packaging.