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With the design flaw being 158 years ago, I think we realistically have to accept that no explanation will ever be forthcoming. If a reason was known, I'm pretty sure it would have been documented by now, given the amount of detailed research that has taken place over the last century or so. If I had to hazard a guess, it would be the mundane one of a design flaw not picked up before production, and not corrected because reverse E was dropped almost before it got going. So, here's a question for you to ponder regarding reverse E: why was the LCW moved from under the shield to under Britannia's foot for this reverse design only, and then dispensed with completely on all subsequent reverses? By the way, have you ever contacted the Royal Mint to discuss your various theories. Having access to many old contemporary documents and reports, they might be better placed than us to provide an answer, or at least a possible explanation. Just a thought.

Prone to fill? I don't have any 1862 halfpennies but the reverse G image in Freeman doesn't appear to show a full crop of rocks compared to Malcolm Lewendon's reverse G (though neither of those images are of an 1862 halfpenny - they're 1867 and 1864 respectively).

If I had a 12" it would flop around.

so in the copper we are dealing with something that is much smaller further away and yet still manages to apply all the skills that Kutcher has that are no less than Wyon has you can see that in his wonderful medals which if you have not looked at are stunning. artistic licence yes of course any engraver would know that if you are trying model something far away and you want to show certain things , sails rigging and most importantly from the argument that is being suggested here the embodiment of national pride the union jack and the British ensign you do have to use artistic licence. The meaning of which is not to do it badly but to emphasise something to the viewer you wish them to be aware of using some device. Here the flag at the stern is 10 times the size is should be but you are trying to show a british ship sailing towards Britannia the fact that the flag is the same size a a mainsail is a simple but effective device ...artistic licence. all other details are accurate except the thickness of the rigging (artistic licence ) but even so the overall effect is a good one because the eyes on viewing the ship sees thin rigging because it is confused. I would happily set sail in any one of these safe in the security of them showing all the essential attributes of a stable solid craft...he even develops the perspective through the portholes with a thin line to show us the other side of the ship.

I am not getting on to the of biblical mythology you said "like the F14 the ship floats above the horizon" I agree it does but walking on water is not floating in mid air above the water as in freeman 14

and on the Freeman 14, the ship is floating above the surface of the water. An incredible feat.

Hmm...if the steel core of the coins is 'soft' magnetic material, like mild steel, the the induced magnetism will indeed slowly reduce. To create the effect, you would need a powerful magnetic field that doesn't change polarity. Indeed, how to de-magnetise something is to use a coil powered off ac mains which reverses 100 times a second, and slowly draw it away. ( Remember the 'wand' that the old tv engineer used when your tube tv screen went funny colours?) Magnetising ( or what magnet manufacturers call 'charging' or 'energising') can indeed be achieved using a single high-level pulse of DC current, like what a capacitive discharge will produce, or, in this case, a lightning 'strike'. I put 'strike' in parentheses, since the big high current ( million + amps) discharge goes UP. The high voltage 'leader' comes slowly down, finding a path, ionising a channel of air, and the ground discharges to the cloud. Persistence of vision makes us see this as a downward 'stroke'. Lightening rods etc spray electrons up to the cloud, discharging the cloud, and can actually make a big upward discharge more unlikely. I'm selling my magnet collection. Special Offer: Buy a North pole, and get a South pole free!!!

I've followed this up with Spink as a matter of interest as it was clear to anyone yet alone a professional cataloguer that it wasnt a mule .....they did say there had been an unusual sequence of events that led to this rare cataloguing error ...that the matter had beeen resolved correctly and satisfactoraily between the buyer and the seller...pity it wasnt the other way around ie described as an F10 but actually an F9 ...lol !

Incidentally, here's a photograph of Wyon, who lived from 23rd November 1826 to 20th August 1891, succumbing, at the age of 64, to Bright's disease and apoplexy, at his home 54 Hamilton Terrace, St John's Wood. He's buried at Paddington Old Cemetery. He was married in 1852, to Mary Birks (1831 to 1902). The couple initially lived at Maida Vale, then moved to their St Johns Wood address in 1856. He designed many other coins, some for the Empire. No idea if his initials appeared on them, and if they did, whether they continued to?

Thanks for the support! I find that I mostly end up selling small-beer stuff: low value foreign coins, decimal 50ps and £2s and some of the British Crowns (1965 to 1981) to youngsters. For all these I see my job more proselytising than making a profit. Once in a while I pick up a serious collector, but most of the sales to them are done through subsequent private meetings or negotiations via email. The other key reason for doing it is that occasionally someone will bring me "Granny's box of old coins" and that is generally the best source for exciting new stock!