Sorry that life isn't being kind at the moment. I hope you're feeling as well as you reasonably can but "life-changing" also sounds like "long-term problem."

ColonialCoins...I know we haven't talked before, but I wanted to say I'm really sorry to hear that you're having a life-changing kind of health problem.  That's just awful.  I hope that your diagnosis is something that you can find a way to live with which would also allow for a reasonably good quality of life, in the long run at least if not right away.  I hope that you're feeling better soon.

Thankyou both for your kind comments, unfortunately the condition is progressive, with no cure* although I plan to do everything I can to limit its impact for as long as possible. Coins, medals and their associated stories provide a welcome break with the added bonus that we have a local coin auction coming up for the first time in several years so I will spend a few pleasant hours actually going through some real coins before deciding what to bid on!

* As a scientist who works in translational drug discovery that challenge is now No1 on the 'to do list' 

Hi Mike, it is nice to see you posting here again. I'm sorry to hear about your recent health issues. You seem to have a good outlook, and it's nice to see that numismatics can remain an important part of your life. I know next to nothing about Napoleonic medals, so I am excited to learn as you share your knowledge with us. Please let us know how the local auction turns out! 

On 9/1/2021 at 11:55 PM, coinsandmedals said:

Hi Mike, it is nice to see you posting here again. I'm sorry to hear about your recent health issues. You seem to have a good outlook, and it's nice to see that numismatics can remain an important part of your life. I know next to nothing about Napoleonic medals, so I am excited to learn as you share your knowledge with us. Please let us know how the local auction turns out! 

Thankyou - managed to get to look at the lots today - even though I have no hope in ever owning one I got to see a gold 5 guinea and it always amazes me how heavy they are!

Saw this and thought you may be interested - from the catalogue, I tried taking a photo but it was much darker than the listing.

@ColonialCoinsUK I’ve never had the chance to inspect one in hand, but I imagine it makes quite the impression. There have been some genuinely remarkable gold pieces up for sale recently. They are just a bit out of my budget, so I watch in awe as the bidding wars commence. 

The Irish Penny looks like a nice example, but my already nonexistent budget is gone for the foreseeable future. That said, I may PM you for more information on the auction. I’m always on the lookout for good trading material. With funds being a bit tighter, most of my recent additions have been acquired this way. 

I really appreciate you thinking of me! It’s always nice to have a fellow collector keeping an eye out for me. Hopefully, I can return the favor at some point!