Booky586

Ah, I see where you're coming from. Just had a look under a loupe and the B looks flat on the high points, it might have just taken a knock and is disfigured?

Not quite sure what you mean by B/? In J.E.B but here's the highest resolution I can get:

Yes, Marsh has it listed as #45D, R over E in BRIT. It's also listed in Spink - Coins of England, as R/E in BRIT

Here's a coin that I've just got round to photographing. It's got a few circulation marks but it has the appearance of a proof coin. The fields are flat and reflective while the details look like they've been frosted. I understand that the proof version of this coin is very rare and I appreciate that this is unlikely to be a true proof but why does it appear to be one? Or is it just Proof like? And if so why do we get proof like coins? Is it possible that the dies for a proof could have been re-purposed for bullion use, but with a weaker strike force applied? Or is it the product of one of the first strikes from a brand new (in 1890!) bullion die? Any ideas or thoughts?

R over E or is it E over R? The letter E has a deeper impression than the R.

I will have a rummage around for the allowable tolerances, it's definitely worth finding for future reference. Ansell's book about his time at the mint will be where I'll start.

Excellent photos and analysis as usual! Sovereigns can be tricky things. You can have a coin within the normal specification range (weight, diameter, alloy composition, etc) and it can be a counterfeit. Then they turn up outside specification and it can be genuine. Does that just leave us with the impression from the die as the only true reference? If it comes from a genuine die then a sovereign it is, just out of spec. May be we are seeing a slip in quality control from the Australian mints in this period.

Have a look here, there's plenty of spreadsheets to download and advice on just what you're looking for: https://www.thesilverforum.com/topic/30080-excel-spreadsheets-to-track-your-inventory/#comment-344911

Since the introduction of vat on European bought silver I've lost interested in buying silver bullion, I'll still buy the occasional collectable coin though. However, for the first time I have just bought some "paper" silver, an ETC (SSLN) in my SIPP, based on its spot price and the GSR. I just have to sit back and watch the value fall now.....😀

Great photos and a quick result considering you only discovered the technique yesterday.

The coin has been tested by Chards and the results are all within tolerance, thankfully there are no surprises. It's a little bit over spec on gold content and weight, I'll take that as a bonus! Thank you all, especially @LawrenceChard and @GoldDiggerDave, for you assistance and advice.

Hi Eduardo, Welcome to TSF with a lovely story and fascinating introduction! Cheers, Chris

Thanks for the knowledge. TBH I have very limited photographic experience and had to look up "beauty dish" on the net! I do use the axial lighting method to take photos of my coins though, inspired by the links you've mentioned. It was a long and painful learning process before I got any decent results but certainly worth the effort. What I wanted was a technique that would reproduce the same high standard time after time. It never quite happened as I found different coins (e.g. gold, silver, proof, very worn) require different settings, lighting being one of them. So I've taken the lazy option of just using a softbox for now as I find it the most forgiving. The direct light was just too hard to control. That's a good idea and would make a great reference point. There's so little information out there about axial lighting, @SemolinaPilchard and yourself really are trail blazing for numismatic photography, share the knowledge!

They are all excellent photos, but I think grid lighting works better than softbox on that coin, it has greater impact. Comparing the 2 styles side by side you're getting more detail coming through using grid in areas of low relief (in green bubble), but at the inconvenience of loosing a little detail in the shadows (in red bubble). Is it possible to retain the benefits of grid lighting but include the detail in the shadows of the softbox all in one photo?

I couldn't help but notice the pussy cat peeping out from under George II's clothing. A family pet hiding from the King Charles spaniel? 😀

I wonder what the circular lines are that run next to and roughly parallel to the coins edge? I'd difficult to tell from a photo but they look like they sit on the surface rather than a scratch into the coin. It doesn't quite look like the damage I imagine you'd get from a modern jewellery mount but I'm not sure.

NGC have a lightweight article on their grading standards for Sovereigns. Pretty sure it's not got the depth of detail you're really looking for but I've added the link anyway: https://www.ngccoin.com/news/article/8292/learn-grading-british-gold-sovereigns/#:~:text=NGC's Coin Grading Scale is,circulation issues%2C its approximate condition.

Oh, and don't forget the reference stop for this thing on the forum here:

An interesting coin! I find errors and varieties really interesting and I guess there are still lots of them out there to be found. If you've looked in Marsh and Spink for a sovereign variety and not found what you're looking for I'd usually continue the search on the net. First stop is Allgold coins, they have a good knowledge base on varieties with some that aren't listed in Marsh: https://www.allgoldcoins.co.uk/pages/knowledge-base Then I'll trawl through the auction catalogues covering the Bentley Collection Sale, there's some very useful information by Steve Hill to be read: https://media.baldwin.co.uk/auctions/Baldwins Auction/BA catalogues/Baldwins auction 73 - catalogue (Bentley Collection 1).pdf https://media.baldwin.co.uk/auctions/Baldwins Auction/BA catalogues/Baldwins auction 76 - catalogue (Bentley Collection 2).pdf https://media.baldwin.co.uk/auctions/Baldwins Auction/BA catalogues/Baldwins auction 79 - catalogue (Bentley Collection 3).pdf Good luck with the search.

There's something strange with king George's eye, it's the wrong shape, as if the gold has melted. And the rim of the obverse looks thicker and more worn between 12 and 3 o'clock.

100!?

The oversize diameter of 19.7mm is still bothering me. So much so that I've done a serration count as a reference check only to discover I don't have a reference to check against! Does anyone know if there is a standard number of serrations on a half sovereign of this type? I get 100 serrations:

The coin is very pleasing to the eye and excellent photos as usual! Can't agree more. My eyes aren't what they used to be and I struggle viewing the detail on a 22mm coin in the hand. And a loupe doesn't really do it for me either. But a quality photo shows all the detail you need and is so easy for sharing too, thank you. I photograph all my coins before they are stored safely away, but I always have access to the photos for reference an any time. And a photo is very useful when it comes to sell the coin on too.

No one is of the opinion it's fake, which I'm really pleased with. It's a keeper as it's a nice coin with some character (oversized, die cracks, etc.). To be honest I've seen die cracks in Victorian sovereigns but never one this new. I've been searching the internet looking for other 1914-S halves with no dots in B.P. and this appeared, with thanks to @drakesterling for the use of his very good photo (source: https://www.drakesterling.com/sold-coins/half-sovereigns/1914-sydney-half-sovereign-2-3-4-5-6). Coincidently it has a weak strike, no dots in B.P. and a die crack in it's early stages on the cloak in the same position. This looks like a die match to me and again backs up the coins authenticity: Here's a close up on the cloak die crack, side by side:

Interesting listening and I now understand why we have Greek collectors of Sovereigns. There's a little about red colour Sovereigns and the royal mint modifying the alloy with silver about 35:30 minutes through, especially for @LawrenceChard