Fenntucky Mike

Never seem to get the stars right on these copies/fakes, let alone the finer details.

This thread made it to 100 posts. All this talk about IoM coinage I had to pull the trigger on something. Here's my latest purchase, arrived yesterday. All the scuffs on the rev are on the holder.

Another beauty! Was 77' a highly collected year or a better struck year? 77' seems to be well represented in high grades. I'd ask for a mintage figure but....you know.

I've seen this one before, but man! This is just a god looking coin (in the pictures anyway), every time I see it I can look away. Wish I had this one, thought I'd share. It's for sale but the price is pretty salty, very very salty. https://www.ebay.com/itm/MS70-1977-PM-Isle-Of-Man-2-Sovereign-Graded-NGC-5893/124375924346?hash=item1cf561fe7a:g:B9AAAOSwXj9fNs2-

Why limit yourself to the label? Presale, I hear the line is already forming. Somalia's in From NGC

I don't see why not the The Mint of Poland is in a word, prolific, when it comes to churning out NCLT and commemoratives (especially the smartminting NCLT). The National Bank of Poland has no problem with ok'ing new and/or commemorative designs, to me it's a slam dunk. Yes. I think the only question is, will the commemorative be produced for circulation, NCLT, or both? How many varieties?

Very nice coins, I like them, although I feel the reverse design took a step backward after the move to Tower Mint and the Maklouf redesign. The angel's head doesn't look proportionate to the body, looks like it's floating. Only one more I'm looking for a 1995 gilt, it's been proving elusive. Ditto.

An original Guitar Hero, one of the best! For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, when he took out that drill motor and ran it over the strings.... Mind Blown! RIP

No problem. Milk spots are a pain in the rear. In this series they seem to be more prevalent (or at least more noticeable) on the 2017's with the special finish. Sorry about your luck, like you said a leaning experience.

I see milk spotting on all three, that would drop them a grade. Some would say they shouldn't straight grade.

I wouldn't over think this too much, there are just to many factors that could have effected the outcome, the biggest being people. I tend to think that if submitted on a different day the results could have been flipped. Can you post a few pictures of one or two of the coins that dropped a grade, before and after being crossed? Did any milk spotting, hazing or toning develop while in the NGC holder?

Lol, yep. The only reason I went with PCGS slabs on these in addition to the NGC is because I saw the discrepancy in the total numbers graded. I figured it would cause a premium in the cost of a PCGS slab due to this. My set ATS probably won't be there much longer. This happens a lot with world coins, a ton are graded by NGC and few by PCGS causing the PCGS slabs to go for a premium. I'll speculate using total #'s graded between the two TPG's. Sounds like it's time to sell. I get it, all the privy's can be discouraging or cost prohibitive for people who just want to collect a straight set. I imagine NGC will make a straight set by year MS only once they get to the 2021's that'll give the set five slots. I think that is probably the only reason a straight set does not exist, not enough years issued yet. So they are just lumping everything into one set for now.

I don't feel like ATS they are any tougher on grading standards, they just don't deal in world coins as much. NGC graded 87,000 of these PCGS only 2,600. If the number submitted was similar I would expect the % grading at 70 to be closer. Sell it while you can, I have a feeling a few monsters boxes will be submitted if people realize the price difference. For me NGC is the place to be with world coins but you do get these discrepancies with popular world coins that can drive prices up. It's nice to take advantage of them while they last.

The "X" under the wing, above the dragon's tail, is the Ameripex Privy mark, held in Chicago in 86'. I have that coin. I circled the area in question in the image in the first post, I'm pretty sure its PMD just wondering if someone knew something more about it, or had a different opinion. Pobjoy is just so unorganized that it has me second guessing myself in calling it PMD.

I trying to figure out what is on the left side of the Angels chest, looks like someone took a punch and stamped the coin. It's not a great picture and I don't have the coin in hand, just something I was looking at. Trying to see if someone can positively identify the mark or tool used. Coin has a medal alignment.

Got the 79' edition yesterday and read through it last night, I liked it a lot. A nice addition to the library. I had been looking at this book for awhile and was just looking for a reason to get it, thanks. LOL, I feel like I see this guy and his stamping press in every IoM reference book I see. I'm surprised Southall used them as well, I guess if it ain't broke don't fix it. Pssst. They say he is still at Pobjoy living in the basement and burning all documentation on the mintage figures in the furnace. The entire building runs on the heat generated by destroyed documents.

Hah, I posted that in jest, meaning if I was to try and acquire proof half sovereigns I would feel compelled get that coin. That coin, in my opinion, being the most unattractive coin of the series. Thanks for asking though. I'm looking to acquire a proof half sovereign, as of right now I have none. I would be looking to start with sovereigns having the Viking design on the reverse. I'm not in any rush, in fact I was kind of waiting to see if gold would drop back down a little bit but if a proof half sovereign was available at the right price I would jump at the chance.

I'd say those were a great buy, beautiful coins. Were you expecting the PL and/or expecting a few more to come back PL? A few look like they could have been close calls. .

No, Thank You. This just went from a very good thread to a great thread. Being able to contact or at least present questions to this wide open space called the internet and getting responses, first hand accounts and information. Amazing! Thanks again for sharing. @misterbrillo Hope you stick around. If you ever come across some early 90's 1/10 IoM gold angels (proof) keep me in mind, we're going to have to work on that shipping to the U.S. thing. By the way you wouldn't happen to have any mintage figures from Pobjoy, would you? Or a reference we haven't checked? (shot in the dark) @Zebo Like I said great thread! I imagine you had something to do with coaxing MrB out of the woodwork as well.

I always liked the half penny from 71-75, it's my favorite circulating decimal coinage from IOM. I always thought that the Rev design compliment the Obv very well. Just a good looking coin on both sides. Once they stuck a fish on it, meh. I'm only missing the proof platinum 75 to complete a short set from 71 -75 across all types. I've been going through the references I have that include the IOM but nothing new in regards to mintage figures or previously unmentioned issues. I have come across a few nuggets in regards to mint packaging and just some random blurbs about the IOM and Pobjoy that were new to me. There does seem to be one common thread through these books and that is Pobjoy is a pain in everyone's rear and issued to many coin designs, kind of cracks me up. I agree with that statement in general but that is one of the things that makes this fun, the fact that Pobjoy wasn't consistent (leading to many varieties and issues), made mistakes and kept awful records. I looked through my books and I did not have a Spinks catalog, so I ordered the latest edition due out in mid October. Here's the current group I'm working off of, with IOM references in them. You can cross these off your list of references to get for new info on IOM sovereigns.

I've had trouble a couple of times getting sellers to ship internationally (to the U.S.) from the U.K., not sure why. Shipping from the U.K. to the U.S. seems very expensive when compared to other countries. The Southall book cost me almost $40 to ship it to the U.S., ouch!

To bad, at least the site was legit and you got some information from them. I'm going to save the photos of this one, should be easy to keep track of with those markings, if it ever pops up again.

I'll let you know if there is a section on IOM sovereigns in any of the other references I have, I believe Spinks is one of them. Sent PM with link to site.

No additional info on the 1987 Ellan Vannin in the Third Edition. I took Krause off the shelf last night and am compiling info into a single source so I can keep it all organized. I need to get my act together on these if I'm going to start collecting them. I have the 79 on the way. I have a couple of other "modern" British/Scottish references that include the Islands but I doubt there will be any additional info in them. We'll see.

A guy in the UK has an 84 proof listed, not sure if it's legit, or still available. He will only ship to a UK address, if anyone is in the area it might be worth an email and/or road trip to check it out.