can I change my user name???

[runway]

Hullo Con!
Don't worry about using your full name, i'm Fred and you are Con.
As Neal says take it very slow.
Do the catalogue thing and get aquainted with the whole collection.
The McDonalds catelouge has a huge amount of information about coins and gives you an insight into the world of coins, I recommend that. A couple of year old cat will be fine. Read it very slowly and take it all in.
Make lists of the coins in groups of halfpenny, penny, 3d, 6d, 1/- , 2/- and list by date.
To start off with you will only be able to identify by the date, the fine details that make the difference between a coin being worth $1 or $1000 have to be learnt. After a while you will find out about die types and varieties.
There is just so much that older collectors take for granted about handling coins you will have to learn.
If the coins are all circulated you can pretty much handle them to look at, if they look very shiny and are already wrapped up or in some sort of holder they may be a good grade and don't handle them so you leave finger marks!!
Good Luck.
Fred.

Fred you are correct ... we all appreciate your CAB articles and CDs from Prospect