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Absolutely - it's the love of collecting that we have in common, not necessarily the items we collect.

The same can be said of Geo IV , W1111, and early Victorian Copper pennies, clearly a lion medallion on the centre of the breast plate, only really identifiable on choice or proof coins, but lost over time through die wear after 1841

Not everybody refers to it as the Medusa variety. Certainly the two sold by LCA and the one being sold by Jack Relph, make no such reference. But they do pinpoint the other unique criteria related to the coin, such as the shield. The Medusa head will disappear with any wear, but the other features won't. Mind, I wouldn't buy it either unless one appeared cheap. Despite it's rarity it just doesn't have enough of a "wow" factor for me personally.

Thats the point i am trying to make Paddy ,you dont need a glass / book /website now if you look at the design its completely different.My eyesight is not the best but could spot one straight away ,better looking at the shield and comparing it with any other copper penny ,you dont even need to look at the OBV with the year on to spot one. Remember to check every 1847 penny you may now have the chance to buy as like most varieties ,if you dont know what to look for you will never find one 😃

Don't get me wrong - if I see one (or for that matter "any") decent penny going cheap enough, I will bag it! I have built up most of my collection "on the cheap" and occasionally made a decent profit on the side too. But I am not a "serious" variety collector, unlike many on here I know. I don't feel comfortable laying out a lot of money on a variety that requires a magnifying glass and an expert book or website to identify. Each to their own! 😃

I would have to disagree Paddy about the only interesting feature , it has a completely different REV (mainly the shield ) than any other victorian copper penny .They were being looked for before the Medusa was ever noticed ,It was only pointed out to me by Terry when the first one sold at LCA that there appeared to be a face and showed mine to the wife. She said "its a Versace coin " "it has a Medusa on it " and thats were the name came from , although people have been looking for them for twenty years the Medusa was never noticed before Terry spotted it. The Victorian copper penny series is not that many really 1839 - 1860 ,so anything that is different in design such as the large rose mentioned will become sought after by the few collectors there are. This is a rare one which makes it even more desireable ,dont fight shy of looking for one ,as they sell for a few quid if you find one 🙂

how's about that then...