UkrainiiVityaz

4 hours ago, robinjojo said:

For those of you who are interested in another perspective on Richard III, Secrets of the Dead aired an episode in 2014 that looks at the issue of his deformity.  Free viewing is not available now, so you'll need to pay to view it.

Resurrecting Richard III

https://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/resurrecting-richard-iii-preview/1896/

 

 

$5 a month for PBS passport and unlimited viewing.  I don't have cable etc and don't otherwise watch TV - PBS is the exception.

It is an amazing programme - and an intriguing mystery.  One topic avoided in the programme was the hold-up on validating that Prince Edward and Prince Richard actually survived could be easily verified by doing a DNA test on the remains of two young boys found behind a set of stairs in the Tower of London in 1674.  The bones were last examined in the 1930s and re-interred in Westminster Abbey and the two most recent British monarchs have not consented to having the remains tested to do a DNA sequence. 

Until the 1980s there was some belief by a few researchers that coins were issued in the name of Edward V - now it is believed that the coins so believed were actually issued during the reign of Edward IV.

Made an order for some goods from Mykolaiv Ukraine - just NW of recently liberated city of Kherson on Monday.  Will be arriving tomorrow at my NE USA address.  From an active war zone in 5 days door to door.  

I've all but given up on Royal Mail - 10 weeks for a shipment from Scotland.  It was not cheap shipping.  Frankly now I limit the mid range purchases and hold out for larger combo purchases and pay the exorbitant fees for shipping via FEDEX - at least it arrives in about 3-4 days.

In contrast to Royal Mail - I have three parcels coming from Ukraine right now and even with all the expected disruptions due to the war - they are actually coming along really quickly through Ukrposhta - one sent Monday has already made it out of Ukraine.

On 1/27/2023 at 4:54 PM, UkrainiiVityaz said:

£300 purchase from December is lost and seller not cooperative.  Tracking shows it apparently never left Aberdeen.  

Parcel was sent 12 December from Aberdeen.  Tracking dropped off after that, seller was dismissive but finally refunded my money three weeks ago.  Now 2.5 months later guess what shows up in my P.O. box unannounced!  Beats the old record for a parcel sent from Aberdeen that took 8 weeks.

The longest I have waited for a parcel was for some model house kits from Russia before the pandemic - took nearly 3 months.

Disappointed at all the war, sanctions etc because skilled Russians with laser CNC machinery do the best work.

I spent an hour I'll never get back perusing and drooling over some of the ancients and especially the early dated Medieval German gold.

At least I have never ever done anything like that!(sarc!)

Purchased in 1993  in Hamburg.  It is a cast fake in .900 gold of a non-existent date for this issue.  Then I had several Prussian, Baden, Wurttemberg, Bavaria 20 mark coins and wanted one of the Hansa city coins to add to the collection. 

I'm lucky that when I accidently bid on something I was not interested in it was only €15 and I turned around and sold it a couple of years later for about €120 or so. For €240 I'd eat it and consign it for a future sale.

It is an amazing programme - I have PBS passport - $5 a month for unlimited viewing of everything - only streaming service my cheap bum will pay for.

Technically a medal but struck on a 50 Peso (1.2057oz) coin blank - this commemorates the Mexican Constitution of 1857.

I buy food etc from Ukraine all the time.  For awhile last year shipping could take up to three months.  For some groceries we are having to make stuff from scratch, like drinks we used to buy cannot get anymore.  We can get basic ingredients for many grocery items but some like flour are not the same and stuff doesn't turn out the same.  

Is there way to see original article without registering or downloading?

Похоже, вы просто способствуете подделке монет во имя искусства. Это как называть жестокую войну <<Специальной военной операцией>>

One that has haunted me since whenever I saw it for auction and didn't bite.  From Syracuse with Kore on the obverse and Nike on the reverse.

Kingdom of Hungary AR Denar dated 1508 - my earliest Christian dated coin.

1966 quarter apparently cast in some tin-lead combo.

Sacagawea dollars actually circulate quite a bit - in Ecuador.  So much so that Colombian cartels are die striking counterfeits and artificially aging them an circulating them in Ecuador.

£300 purchase from December is lost and seller not cooperative.  Tracking shows it apparently never left Aberdeen.  

Here is the link to my original post about the Waterford Penny and the tower in Waterford where it was minted:

Waterford Penny and it's mint.

8 minutes ago, Edessa said:

 I can imagine Seamus' wife asking him to make this into a pendant, and then catching him as he, somewhat logically, drilled the hole in the point of the triangle.

 

I am thinking the driller's name was more likely John or William - Seamus would have put the hole in the centre ie the King's portrait.

On 1/16/2023 at 5:21 AM, maridvnvm said:

The Post Offices and the Royal Mail are separate companies. The Royal Mail is the delivery company, which has been on strike. The Post Office  is a nationwide network of branches offering a range of postal, Government and financial services. The Post Offices have remained open for business. They are quite happy to sell you the stamps / service despite the fact that the Royal Mail strike means that the service being sold cannot be met due to the strikes. It gave them the chance to up-sell to tracked and signed for services on the basis that when Royal Mail came back online that these services would be prioritised in catching up on the backlog. My personal record during this period was a letter sent "First Class" which "Aims to deliver the next working day including Saturdays" was finally delivered 7 weeks after it was posted. I am still receiving mail that was posted in early December.

And Royal Mail was hacked by some Russian ransom farm and they are holding data on international shipments since November apparently which has now shut down all international parcel delivery out of the UK.  Back in December I sent £300 to a seller for an item which they then posted - but with the hack the tracking is lost and Royal Mail has no idea where the parcel is.  I am hoping to get the refund of the £300 soon.  Royal Mail was on strike when I was in Belfast, which was a pain because at that time I trusted them more than I trust anPost - the Irish postal service which is mediocre at best.

The triangle on the obverse was purposed to keep the coin circulating in the Pale of Ireland and out of England.  Of course that didn't always happen.  This piece was obviously saved early on before it could be clipped etc as evidenced by the metal outside of the pellets on the perimeter of the coin.  Also has a nice mostly deep strike with little evidence of wear particularly on the high points of the cross on the reverse.  It is a very desirable piece and compares well to my example from Waterford.

20 hours ago, Hughie Dwyer said:

I also have just googled the subject and have found that Charles III 50ps have been fully released to all UK post offices since mid-December - although I haven't noticed this...

Yeah, but how much have the Royal Mail been open for business, what with their rolling days off in the guise of a strike?

Why Roman Buildings Have Lasted so Long

Scottish Coins - David I (1124-1153)

Researchers have long debated whom was the first Scottish King to have actually instituted a native Scottish coinage. Whilst the Kingdom of Northumbria encompassed parts of Scotland up to the Forth River, it is believed that all of the Northumbrian coinage was minted in the south, ie York. Occasionally these coins are found in southern Scotland. Ca. 1980 there was a report in the press about a researcher determining that a coin was minted during the reign of Ecfrith of Deira and Northumbria (664-670 AD) in Scotland, but subsequent research has determined that this theory is not with due merit.

Earlier volumes on Scottish Coinage, such as "The Coinage of Scotland" by J.D. Robertson have suggested that the first native Scottish coins were issued during the reign of Alexander I (1107-1124) however this is 19th century research, which has since been disproven. Without a doubt, David I issued coins in his name, and therefore is most likely the first Scottish monarch to have actually issued them as such.

The first Scottish coins are believed to be those issued by King David I(1124-1153), previous to this time very few coins ever found their way into Scotland, though some Roman era and Northumbrian sceats are very occasionally found. The first issue of coins was ca. 1136, and was likely connected to the Scottish capture of Carlisle and it's mines. Even after the introduction of a native coinage, barter continued to the basis for the economy for many years.

David I was the youngest son of Malcolm Canmore (1058-1093) and the third son to have acceded the throne after his father. His early years appear to have been spent in England, the birthplace of his mother, Margaret(whom was the sister of Edgar The Aetheling.) With his mother's sponsorship, and given his lower rank in the possibility of his inheriting the throne he spent much of his youth in the Church and was an accomplished student. In 1113 he was married to Matilda, whom was the daughter of the Earl of Northumberland. With this marriage he acquired lands south of the Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland, Huntington and Northampton. This acquisition would result in his being recognised as a Norman Baron. David's older brother, Alexander I, soon would recognise David as the sub-king of the Scottish lowlands as a result.

In 1124 Alexander I died and the throne again was inherited by a son of Malcolm Canmore and David I would soon have the opportunity to forge Scotland into a united kingdom once more, as divisions existed from the earlier disputed monarchs of Scotland. Some of the legacies which were instituted during this reign included the creation of the counties of Scotland, which in effect lasted until 1975.

Whilst there was a sound degree of harmony in Scotland, the opposite was true of her southern neighbour, England. The first English Civil War was in full swing, with Stephen (1135-1154) as King of England defending himself against Matilda, whom was the daughter of Henry with purportedly a better claim at the throne. Whilst the explanation of the English Civil War would take up volumes, it can be summarised in that David I of Scotland soon saw opportunity knocking and moved south in favour of his niece, Matilda in 1135. Despite having made this move, it is in retrospect, obvious that he was looking more for acquisition than assisting Matilda, as subsequently his support could be described as lukewarm at best.

The move south resulted in the Scots acquiring Carlisle, with it's nearby mines, and importantly for coin collectors, it's mint. Coins had been struck in the name of Stephen since the previous year. The capture of the mint resulted in some coins in Stephen's name still being struck after the capture, but soon they began changing the dies and issued pennies in David's name.

Many of the coins issued during this reign are quite similar to the English issues of Stephen, and this has led to some confusion given the fact that all of the coins from this era were quite crude by comparison with earlier issues. Workmanship on the coins had deteriorated, and legends on the coins were often blundered, the result of uneducated die cutters creating the coins. All of the coins of this era featured a portrait of the monarch, or more likely during this time a crude representation of him. The reverse was usually a short cross with pellets in the quarters of it. Later in the reign coins were minted in Berwick, Perth, Roxburgh and Edinburgh.

Denominations used during this reign

Silver

Penny

Pennies were the only denomination struck, they were struck at 22.5 grains weight at .925 fine ie sterling standard. They are divided into the following classes:

Period A or First Issue(ca. 1136-1144):
      As Henry I(of England) but with DAVIT REX minted at Carlisle, then a possession of the Scots. This coin is S-5001 and SD11D-005. This coin is extremely rare.

      As Stephen I(of England) but with STIEFNE REX minted at Carlisle, then a possession of the Scots. This coin is S-5002 and SD11D-010. This coin is very rare.

      Like Stephen coin above but with DAVIT REX minted at Edinburgh. This coin is S-5003 and SD11D-015. This coin is extremely rare.

Period B or Second Issue(ca. 1144-1149):
      Blundered and poorly executed copy of Stephen's coins minted at Edinburgh and Roxburgh, This coin is S-5004 and SD11D-020. This coin is very rare, but one of the most common types found of David I's coinage.

      Henry I(of England) but with DAVIT REX and annulet or crescent enclosing pellet; minted at Carlisle, Berwick, Edinburgh, Perth & Roxburgh. This coin is S-5005 and SD11D-025. This coin is extremely rare.

      Bishop of Carlisle minted at Carlisle, king holding a branch. This coin is S-5006 and SD11D-030. This coin is extremely rare.

Period C or Third Issue(ca. 1149-1153):
      Coins of better workmanship, with DAVIT REX and crowned bust with sceptre. Minted at Carlisle, Roxburgh, St. Andrews and Berwick. Usually with single pellet in angles. This coin is S-5007 and SD11D-035. This coin is rare, but one of the most common types found of David I's coinage.

      Similar but has other symbols instead of pellets in angles. This coin is S-5008 and SD11D-035. This coin is rare.

Period D or Fourth Issue(ca. 1153):
      DAVIT REX etc., sometimes retrograde legends and crude bust. This coin is S-5009 and SD11D-040. This coin is very rare.

      Blundered and retrograde legends still, but better style of King's bust. This coin is S-5010 and SD11D-045. This coin is very rare.
 

Collecting coins from this reign

Collecting the coins of David I are quite challenging, as all of them are very rare nowadays. When they are found, it is usually a unique find, and not as a hoard. In scanning through important auctions of Scottish coinage, for example the Dundee Sale of 1976 it is notable that this reign is only scarcely represented. In fact in that auction of hundreds of Scottish coins there were only two lots from this reign. Currently, lower graded and properly identified coins from this reign start out at approximately £600 each. Collectors should exercise caution as there are very many similar English pennies, most of which are quite more common.