Update for future McDonald guides

[fred lever]

Hi Greg, Neal is spot on with the 6d and 2/- suggestions. Auto mentions the obverse recognition.
I included Neals' picks in my Ultimate lists.
The obverse recognition has a bunch of indicators handy when the top of the coin is obscured and groping for a rare "English" obverse..
In a couple of CAB articles I have covered the subject thoroughly, by memory there are about 6 indicators.

I have mailed off a CD to you with a copy of all my CAB articles, a copy of my last reference book and some personal stuff.
In the CAB articles are the "Ultimate" series that could form the basis of a guide list.
The CAB articles represent my passage of learning on pre-decimals and towards the end there is some quite heavy duty research on various topics.
To make sense of the CD please read the "read me" file first.

Of course for detail and information on pre-decimal nothing comes near Dr David Briggs releases on copper and silver and would be your reference to fact check my essays and other peoples work.

It will be interesting to see how you approach constructing a pre-decimal oriented guide.
Most of the serious coin collecting and research in the last 20 years has been in the pre-decimal area.
Names like Briggs, Effendi, here my memory fails me,  and others as printed in CAB  and JNNA feature with myself down in the back of the pack somewhere.
The early decimals have some interesting issues but post year 2010 the RAM have just gone barking mad with endless painted/lettered tokens.
That may be a commercial success to keep the machinery running but of no interest at all to a numismatist.

Let me know how I can help, I am no longer physically that mobile, but am happy to respond to email contact.

Cheers, Fred.

[nealeffendi]

There are a few other names besides the ones Fred mentioned. Andrew Crellin has put out some nice articles. Matthew Eddison is probably the most knowledgeable and passionate researcher on the Centenary florin. Mark (our host) is big on the pre decimal errors and albanyechidna keeps surprising me when he schools us on subjects we think we knew but actually don't ( never even contemplated the 34 overdate sixpence could exist until he posted it on this forum).

[runway]

I'm so happy to hear you are back Greg your guides are written from a real numismatic person with a passion for the hobby ,that other publication is just released because it can and is full of errors and no real updates apart from some new photos , banknote section is terrible

[Basilstate]

Also don't forget the 1934 Shilling overdate and i think there is enough egs., the 1933 Half-penny overdate.
The 33 Half in the Vict. Museum is the obvious eg. of that.
The Melb. Mint were certainly active during the Depression years.

[nealeffendi]

True Basil. There are a number of varieties that fall into the category of needing acknowledgement so the less informed collector will find out that they exist and will look for them. Not so certain though if most of them meet the bar of the 3 varieties I mentioned earlier (working dies struck off fully prepared hubs) that deserve full recognition by the TPGs.
Perhaps Greg could include the following varieties
1915 wide date penny, 1922 wide date penny, 1933 overdate halfpenny, 1934 overdate sixpence, 1934 overdate shilling and 1962 misaligned hub penny. Each of these usually command a premium when sold over their common variety so should get a mention on the slab label (but not a seperate slot in set registries). But the '34 wide, '46 large loop and '53 medium denticle should get a guernsey in set registries like the '26 Serif or the '53 Large did a few years back.
And though both the 34 overdate are interesting there isn't enough certainty although a high probability that they are overdate and thus deserving of a full set registry spot like the 33 overdate penny

[Goldseeker]

Hi Greg,   Glad to hear that a new catalogue is planned for xmas 2022.   Can't wait.

[Greg McDonald]

Hi everyone,

Please keep the comments and suggestions coming.  I am keeping copies of all posts and all will be added to the next book - I promise.  Sorry I am unable to reply to everyone, but pressure is on to get pages done.

[Goldseeker]

Greg, No need to reply to me as your book will be your reply.

[fred lever]

Hi Greg, the padded bag I sent with the info referred to in #16 has been returned by the APO as "unknown address".
I have obviously used an out of date address.
Could you post here the current address, or shoot me an email with the details.

Cheers, Fred.

[Greg McDonald]

Hi Fred,

Sorry for not updating address details.  Bit of brain fatigue on my part.  Recently sold out five bedroom home on three acres after the last of our three kids flew the nest. Will now have more time to knock out a few books now that I'm not part of having to spend half my life on a ride-on and attending to 120 rose bushes.

have sent you a temporary address Fred on your personal email address.  I am planning to organise a new PO Box in the near future.

Thanks again for your perseverance.

Regards

Greg

PS:  made a snap decision to attend the ANDA Melbourne fair.  Great catching up with a handful of dealers from my coin dealing days.  Equally pleasing to see was the number of younger dealers manning tables and interacting with a strong contingent of collectors. I think the industry is in good hands.

[fred lever]

Hi Greg, no problems, have re-sent info per instruction.
Cheers, Fred.

[brismike]

Hi Greg - I haven't been on here for a while, too busy trying to keep Numista updated, but it is great to hear you are working on updating your book  . .  with Books. Great idea to split them up into 3 categories. Any of my photo's on Numista that you like drop me a line and I can send you the originals.

Cheers Mike

[Greg McDonald]

Hi Mike,
Thank you for your very generous offer to support my forthcoming books - that is very generous of you.  I am in awe of the amount of information your site offers.  Very timely as well, now that the Krause Calatig is no longer with us.  I must apologise for the delay in getting back to you. As news filters out, I am getting more and more offers to help.  It's almost like I am spending as much time corresponding with support as I am writing the book.  Wonderful position to be in.
I think one of the really positive things about this hobby concerns the type of people it attracts.  With a few exceptions, collectors, dealers and researchers are willing to share their time and knowledge for the good of the hobby.
Thanks again Mike, and all the other generous supporters
Cheers Greg

[Pedro]

Hi Greg,

The Queen's passing has certainly shaken up the prices on a few PNCs. The big question is how much steam is in this run? A difficult time to be assessing values.  :scratch_one-s_head:

Pedro

[Greg McDonald]

Hi Pedro

Good to hear from you.  I haven't forgotten that I have some info to send to you to check over for me as you have so kindly done n the past.  As I mentioned in my last post, I am doing all sorts of crazy hours and a growing proportion is devoted to corresponding with supporters such as yourself - As of today, I have an excel list of 362 entries that includes general issues, show, or bourse, variations that include differing daily postcodes.  I'm also listing all the low mintage AP issues.  I was thinking of referring to these as "Ballot Issues."  I've also seen references to "Prestige and Impression" issues.  Does any one have a strong dislike of "Ballot Issues." This is taking way longer than it should as I am getting zero help from Australia Post.  Since May 22 I have written seven letters to a senior AP representative, sent a copy of my last book as requested and travelled to the recent ANDA Melbourne show for a one on one meeting. Dismissive arrogance would be the best way of describing the original issue price.  For an institution as big as Australia Post, I wouldn't have thought that was a tough issue.  Maybe my expectations are just too high.  It's very difficult when you have a genuine passion for a subject and you are dealing with people that would be just as happy to put caps on bottles in a factory if it paid the rent. I wonder if there is anyone out there who has a contact at AP who has a genuine interest in supporting something that can help promote the hobby and re-invigorate the PNC series which seems to be losing collectors as it becomes so complex.  Anyway, that's my rant for the day.

Pedro, sorry --- back to your question.  Pricing in a guide is always difficult.  There are prices from people wanting to squeeze every cent out of a deal and others who sell the same item for peanuts because they need the cashflow.  There are also people asking book prices for items that are damaged.  Other professional dealers have to factor in GST, company tax, rents, rates etc.  They are up against someone on the internet selling an inheritance they are not interested in.  You cannot either are right or wrong. I am careful to always suggest my books are "guides."

The recent death of the Queen is the latest in a long list of emotion driven promotions. We've been through this with the death of Princess Di; The Falklands War; the Unification of Germany etc, etc, etc.  Who remembers the fortune "astute" collectors were going to make by putting the house on Phonecards or Sydney Olympic Pins.  

I've seen a few posts promoting recent QE2 recent issues as the next investment boom.  Spare a thought for what's to come.  Mints world-wide will be gearing up to churn out "compassionate commemoratives" that will soak up more metal than both sides dropped on the Somme.
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For what it's worth, I think sanity will prevail once the media circus moves on. Just before the death of the Queen, the media was full of stories about how people were going to lose their homes as interest rates broke through the 2% barrier -  Hello!  People of my vintage will remember house interest rates of 18% and overdraft rates of $23%. Remember a few years ago when bananas were selling for $15; and more recently lettuces for the same prices.   It's a mixture of swings and roundabouts iced with greed and ignorance.  If you really want a particular QE2 issue, you really have two choices.  Buy it now and hope the prices go up or wait a year and chance being able to buy at half the price. There will always exceptions to the rule, and all I can rely on is having spent over 40 years of mapping coin and banknote prices on virtually a daily basis.