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The coin has flipped and rotated slightly during striking which has made the legend quite messy. Based on the letter M which you thought was a H I'd say it's Henry III. Probably class 7b. Mint signature ends in a T followed by a stop so i think its it's either Canterbury or Bury St Edmunds. Moneyer is either Simvn or Simvnd I'd say.

On a relatively high grade penny like that, the H would show strongly. What you've got there is a ghostly anomaly, and I'd agree - no H

Definitely NOT an H. As you can see from Secret Santa's post above too, the H if present is smaller than the smudge/toning/anomaly you have where the H would be. Many times we all wish the presence of something and convince ourselves from a humble picture that a smudge or blob just might be the magic thing! I myself must have bought over the years half a dozen 1863 pennies with "something" perhaps below the date which just might possibly have been a die number with a fair wind behind. Needless to say of course, none of them were!!

I can’t see an H either. I think there may be a blemish in there that the brain may try to interpret as something meaningful, especially if one is looking for it. Like the image of Jesus in a slice of toast or an alien face on Mars.

over the year Ive been sifting through my coins and put Colonial Coins in another bag to sort out at a later date and create some organisation .... I have checked and found that most are .925 silver so at the very least scrap.... However...some of these seem to be quite scarce... The 1887 Canada, 10 cents, Mintage 350 000 The 1891 British Guiana and West Indies, Fourpence, Mintage 336 000 The 1918 Australia, Threepence, Mintage 3 119 000...... ok so not a rarity... the Victorian Colonial coins of this lot are the scarcer and as the page of the ones I own is growing its a becoming real eye opener...👍

Thank heaven the vendor confirms that it is genuine, not a replica! I rest assured 😄. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/198243354927?_skw=hammered&itmmeta=01KN2QEJGWGHJW8JGVRHXGCNZK&hash=item2e2839892f:g:EjYAAeSwwP5pzBu5&itmprp=enc%3AAQALAAAA8GfYFPkwiKCW4ZNSs2u11xCdMdsLZrzlKxQyLy1byZLX53r1elvuJN%2FF39HjSTeEV6eWM8XGXpL0nqXXF2nnpzem946gkjE36Mqqfd%2FcS%2FY04ocGPDJeJHJTgnZZRWylpSn3UcChX1ZfxgnWVN0cucnA4xdSNuaHzpYUrwuRDjrkDQveuTwjgPZTedsF7la4rPTS5YtWSWqxbPAxvxFqI824RBtL8fvyDZrLL5rlJgQl%2FHSHTi3ISEmZV2bPtZ5l17h3SfKg%2BBD9rdJz%2Fx44Kdm9o0hbtItqnP5YB%2FWs3MuUlSAXLUKm7Xq9x5WiQnvyig%3D%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR4aputeoZw Jerry

Come back Dr Larry, all is forgiven!

Blimey, I’m out of this one…where does it stop?

Having dismissed the H as an anomaly, I might have to revise my opinion as I saw the face of Jesus on my slice of toast this morning...

Photoshopped

I have sinced found a few other coins with a ghostly H including another 1875. If you look at the attached image there is an 8 a C and also some guys face in the circle with long hair and a pointy nose any ideas who it is?

Both of these are examples of classic pareidolia !!

I'd be happy to rate that EF (perhaps AEF on the obverse, just a trace of extra wear on the hair?)

I have found (so far) 2x 1835, 1x 1839, 1x, 1842, 4x,1843 (I read that this date is the most common with over dates as well, but none of mine are, I think it was 43 over 34?!?!) 1x, 1862... I had these in with Victorian Maundy one pence coins car boot find, I still had the cash bag from Midlands Bank that they came in... miss them days. 🥲

or not there

You will have difficulty finding any die detail specific to the Heaton mint other than the letter ‘H’ as the working dies were prepared at the Royal Mint from their master dies and sent to Birmingham for striking. The Heaton mint did not develop their own dies. And don’t confuse differences due to die wear, depth of strike, clashed dies etc as differing varieties. It’s a potential minefield. Jerry

Great Collections has responded to me, and accolades to them for being receptive and ethical.

I would say it's an F82. The figure 5 is more upright on the 1875H.

FWIW I don’t think it’s an H, just an anomaly of toning and surface metal. The big issue is, if you’re going to call that an H, you then have to have an explanation for the Triangular shape that’s hovering between the digits?

Images, photos, etc, can be deceptive and not necessarily deliberately. The best determinant is studying the coin in hand.

Im going to study the 1875 and 1875 H there must be an identifiable die characteristic unique to the H coins. Lets see.

Thank you both for the orders. wlewisiii, I'll sort you out with a PDF of the Irish book over email.

Hi all, Just for the record, I managed to get an independent ID of the attached from personnel working with the PAS database, where I've since recorded it. They identified it as a Henry III cut halfpenny, probably a class 5(c?), possibly minted by Gilbert in Canterbury. Date probably c1253-6 Obverse: Kings head facing, probably with sceptre in right hand. HENRICVS REX III around. Note that legend starts immediately above sceptre at about 10 o'clock. N & R in HENRICVS are also ligated (joined together). Personally, I still can't decipher anything much of the reverse legend but, if correctly identified, should be something like GILBERT ON CANT or similar. Hope of some help! Best regards, James

I'm pleased to share with this 1875H coin I have just purchased. (I think the seller missed the H) In your opinion what is the grade please of this coin, my gut feeling is GVF/GVF I'm inexperienced and am a bit lost when it comes to grading. There is rim damage and a few stains, you can also just some some luster around some of the legends. I know the following is only a basic guide but its difficult for me to be sure how the coins grades. 1) VF-20 We start to see all major line in the hair. The thistle and shamrock decorations starts to appear. Clearly readable but lightly worn legends, illustrations show good detail, rims are clean, but the whole coin shows moderate wear on the high points. 2) EF-40 Hair lines are mostly sharp and distinct except above forehead. The rose, thistle and shamrock decorations are visible. Legends are sharp, illustrations are clear with slight but obvious wear on the high points. 3) AU-50 Hair above forehead are visible and dress details are distinct. Sharp legends and illustrations show only a trace of wear on the highest points. There must be some remaining mint luster." Note inside the bottom of the Letter O in One the small flat part which does not appear to be damage. I would be grateful to hear opinions please. Thanks.

Well you could , but you would be deluding yourself.

Great work Stu.

I see. Thank you very much for your insight. That makes a lot of sense. Very cool indeed

You might see a flying orange flying man-baby in london complaining about us being late for the third world war (well they were late for the first two weren't they?)

Thanks. I can JUST about make it out now you've told me, but perhaps you hammered guys are more used to knowing where to find it!

Good work ! I'm having trouble finding the 1946 ONE'. Although I spend alot more time searching for other types.

It's amazing how the letters are so neatly and completely removed! (Almost looks like it was intentionally done.) Since the missing letters are unfortunately "REX" and "FID D", it might eventually be given the nickname "abdication 5p" if more examples are known. Long live our King, and long may he reign!

Should be ok now. Some internet nasties were attacking the old predecimal site that I kept online in a secret place.

Nice coin. I think your initial assessment of an attempted holing is more likely correct. I think the bulge in the wreath beneath the 8 on the reverse is the other end of that. I don't think a die fault would allow so much proud metal. I like the threehalfpence coins - a short run intended for the colonies but legal in the UK and listed in all the GB books. It took me some years to complete the date run, the 1837 William IV proving the most elusive - a lot scarcer than the books indicate.

Definitely not an H - as in all your pictures of the 1875H, the H is below the 7 and 5 whereas on your coin, the shadowy "H" is higher.

Good luck, Some members might remember the fiasco of PCGS misattributing an uncirculated 1860 Mule farthing. PCGS would not admit that the slightly separated teeth, a known issue and mentioned in catalogs and guidebooks, were not round beads. They covered themselves by identifying it as a new variety, midway between teeth and beads. It will be interesting to see what their response is. Probably just call it a clerical labeling error.

Here is what I plan to send to PCGS I believe this coin to be improperly attributed as High Tide/ High Sea Level https://www.pcgs.com/cert/56163554 Distinctive markers to determine variety correctly: Center of the upright part of P in Penny should point to gap between denticles, not to a tooth. Shield at bottom should basically be touching denticles, whereas there is a gap here in this coin. Tide on right side of coin should reach next fold up in Britannia's dress, closer to where legs cross. For comparison, this one is correctly identified: https://www.pcgs.com/cert/82915544 I can also provide more pictorial proof upon request.

It could be a filled die but I am not convinced of the presence of an ‘H’. Either way, I would want a clear cut example for my collection rather than one that will likely remain uncertain. In terms of grade, don’t confuse the UK grading system with the US Sheldon scale; their AU is more akin to our EF and their EF40 is about our VF. The book you need is https://coinpublications.com/product/the-standard-guide-to-grading-british-coins/ Jerry

Its one of the most mis attributed types you see , nearly all the so could high tide examples on E.bay are incorrect . The best way to tell is by the stem of the P in Penny which on the High Tide points to the Gap [space] between the teeth, on all the others it points to the Tooth.

I found another graded example (PCGS this time), which i believe to be misattributed. Can other please confirm or deny my suspicion? https://www.pcgs.com/cert/56163554

Can also clearly see the 'WRL' on the reverse. Westair Reproductions Ltd, I think. They make replicas for museum gift shops etc and they always have WRL stamped on them.

Well Done again! If I was you I would buy a national lottery ticket, about the same odds!

I enjoy having huge silver coins in my pocket so I added a new one to my “pocket coins” today: a 1971 S proof Eisenhower 40% silver one dollar. It looks fun alongside my 1935 Peace Dollar and 1935 Rocking Horse Crown from the UK. My son was “Oooh! Shiny!” and, yeah, proof coins are cool that way. To protect them I do keep them in encapsulated so that they don’t get scruffed and dinged in my pocket like other circulation coins. Fun stuff

I know we have had a lot of talk recently about grading companies and their abilities, and this is an example which I feel demonstrates that the companies in the US are great with US coins but not with UK coins. There is currently an auction on ebay for a slabbed 1860 mule, which caught my attention. The price looked reasonable for a slabbed 1860 mule which was showing signs of lustre, but it was difficult to confirm the variety from the existing images. I enquired about better images of the coin and in the sellers defense he provided them very quickly and courteously. The issue is that it is my opinion that this is a toothed/toothed border farthing which it would appear has been incorrectly slabbed by PCGS (a verification check on the cert number does show this to be in the PCGS database as a mule). It does not bear the signs of a beaded border reverse and the single rock to the left of the lighthouse confirms this fact. I write this post to try and inform potential buyers of my opinion, and I have written to the seller in the hopes that by showing comparisons he will agree with the error and pursue this with PCGS.

Yes..... It is the same coin... Relisted AFTER the owner followed through and did what was suggested..... He can only rely upon PCGS at this point...... Insofar as I am concerned, he has done ALL that he can do..... PCGS needs to 100% GUARANTEE the coin beyond ANY question or doubt......

Hi, First a warm welcome to this forum. As a contributer to the 'Darkside' PCGS forum I know you have a genuine interest in 'World Coins'. Your reasoned argument is also welcome. You have obviously spent time on a relatively small $ coin - to preserve your companies reputation. If I ever decide to slab my collection it would be with you. However (you knew there was going to be a BUT) I think you are wrong to designate this coin as a TB, BB mule. Peck, Freeman, Colin Cooke (not Goode) have all described this type - a particular rev. die as very rare < 100 known. You are introducing another rev. die - quite common - that they would have seen many times, and giving it the same description. Beaded border means full beads all round. My toothed border 1860 has most of the same characteristics as the PCGS mule. Including the 5 o'clock beads. If you stay with this stance you will be slabbing a LOT of 1860 TB/BB. So if it is all semantics, why not call this TB / 5 o'clock beaded look border. Without the lighthouse rock and bead count of a beaded border. Just wrong to make people think they have a high value coin, even if us Brits need to re-appraise how we designate border types. Again welcome to the forum - and thanks for posting. Teg

Teg, I can appreciate your comments regarding the owner, and maybe their appeal could have been worded a bit less aggressive, but I can also see their concerns. They are going to be selling a coin which they have had double checked by the "experts" and negative comments in relation to the coin could affect the sale price. It is not their fault that there are differing opinions on this coin, and at least they reacted to informed opinions the last time the item was put up for sale and sought confirmation before attempting to resell. At the end of the day the issue will be passed to the new owner, but so will the potential for recourse against the grading company. I thought I needed a better social life scanning every farthing that passes through my hands , but I have to admit, I have not yet started counting border beads That will give me something to do on Sunday afternoon

The rocks to the left of the lighthouse was the factor I used in determining the authenticity of the item, and this is what I explained to the seller. The single rock is clear on the larger images, but I am hesitant about posting someone elses images on a forum. If you ask the seller for the images, I am sure they would send them to you.

Josie, I know how you feel, I was really unsure about what to do with this item. Do you ignore it and let people bid on something that is not what it appears to be with the view that it is buyer beware. The problem with that is that it is a lot of money for someone to invest into something when it is not what it seems. I sympathise with the seller because they are stuck with the item and the error is not theirs. I sent a polite e-mail to the seller stating my view and explaining the features that are found on a beaded border reverse and referred them to the coins in Colin Cookes collection and the comparisons on my site. I even offered to put something in writing if they did want to take the issue up with the grading company. I am not interested in trying to bad mouth sellers and I have no problems with this seller who has been courteous and efficient in their response throughout the process, and I have to admit if I was in their position I would probably treat my e-mail with a bit of suspicion and would want to check it out before deciding what to do, but I feel as a member of the numismatic community that I should advise people of my opinion. I also would not put this opinion forward unless I was sure of my comments.