Zo Arms

A dot and a die crack

More pennies thread. Top end of page 123.

The idea came from a conversation around 40 yrs ago, with the guy that apprenticed me. How would you stop a crack from traveling in a pane of glass. Although not practical or easily achievable, a round hole in front of the crack would halt or delay it.. Do any of the other dot varieties have an adjacent die crack? The 1909 N dot, 1875 cannonball, 1946 dot dash?

Sorry. You're right. Should have written it first. It's there now. Ready to be blown out of the water.

Hi. Welcome back. This is a thought only, open to discussion or ridicule, viewed from a carpenters point of view. Here goes. Reverse B. Quite happily churning out pennies. It's getting on a bit and a small die crack appears. You need to prolong its life for a while because the new reverse C die isn't quite ready. To prevent the crack traveling further, you drill a small hole just in front of it. This will stall the cracks line of travel. Not prevent it. Just stall it. A perfectly round hole. Or dot. Fill the crack in as an added form of strength, clean it off and away you go again. A dot penny. Hole fills with grease and gunk and becomes the shadow of the dot. You can see it on some 97's in the right light. Can't feel it as raised, but you can make out where it is. After a while the die crack continues its travel. The dot hole deforms as a result and you're left with Jerry's penny. But you've achieved your aim. You've prolonged the life of the die. The new reverse C is now ready and production resumes as before. I'm sure that this theory is full of faults and assumptions but it's food for thought. Bob.

I've had some thoughts on this dot puzzle for quite some time now. Rather than clog up this thread, I'll elaborate on a thread I started back in 2017 entitled: 1897 dot penny. Advice needed. In the beginners area.

I was going to say Kelsch? But yes, Steffi. She must have boxes and boxes full of the stuff!!!! Long live King George.😁

Thanks for the thought Mike. Offer made.

That was on Mother Nature's 'to do' list. And in hand, as you wrote that post. She's having a bloody good go at it. That'll teach us. Not.

And far easier to find, if it gets dropped.😁

It's yours Sir, if you'd care to message me. Bob.

I think that the existing bronze population is diminishing daily. Going to melt. I've read a post from Rob, that he picks out the obvious ones, open 3's, 169's, etc. The rest are melted. Paddy advertised back in November, 43kg combined bronze, that , in the end went for melt. All the good stuff being put aside. As you know, I'll buy bulk via eBay, at slightly above melt price, hoping for something tasty. Generally to no avail. The rest go to melt. I'll not eBay them because I'll end up buying them back at some point, from an ebayer who's doing the same thing. However, on a positive note, all of the coins that I scrap are washers. Last year, a 275kg lot yielded a Gouby X. Recent lots, a Gouby X and a 164a. That's all. Even these were lower grade coins. Take the F98 I have listed at mo. Best I've found, but is it really of any interest. I doubt it. All the cream has been removed and is in the safe hands of collectors such as yourselves. I think that the available penny supply is reducing rapidly. 50 years of people sifting through coins and melting their rejects, to recoup their outlay, must have taken a huge toll on the remainder that the RM didn't recycle.

On my last post, the first three were Gary's. The last is mine. Strange. I can see them all clearly on my phone. Here are my three offerings. Interestingly, on the first photo, there is a dot in the accepted position, next to the E. That's if the photos appear. Bob.

Thought that this 1909 dot was close to specimen 3 but not so sure, now that I can see them both together. Specimen 4.........?

I think you're right. An imitation. The central legend on mine has a stop after R. The real thing has a stop immediately before the R. A lead copy of a gold medal from 1645. The copyist must have had access to the real one at some point to know what he was replicating. Am I allowed to post the screenshot of the British museum medal? Bob.

A recent purchase from eBay. 25mm X 21mm. In lead. Closest I can find via Google is a 'General Fairfax medal ' in gold, held at the British Museum. No sign of a suspension loop on this piece tho.

Thanks. Pleasing to know that it's not a copy. Paid just over £20 for it, so a bargain I think.

An excellent article here about Stewart, Hemmant and the Great fire of Brisbane. Well worth reading all of it. Intriguing last paragraph. ( Hope I've done the link correctly). Brisbane Burns: How the Great Fires of 1864 Shaped a City and its People - Sharyn Merkley - Google Books

Picked this up on eBay just before Christmas. If it's the rare year and month, could it not be open to modern restrikes, etc. Does this one look right? It does feel fatter towards the centre.

Thought I'd share this token with you. Won on eBay just before Christmas. Just arrived. Very pleased with the detail on the emu. Circa 1860 I think. And quite scarce?

The sea to the left doesn't cross the linear circle on either reverse D or F so I put that down to wear, as she is in a shocking condition. You're right. That extra ghostlike head is quite spectral. Creepy. Thanks Mike, Jon. I'll consign her to the pot.

Well, I was hoping for F24, like the one a few posts earlier. I can see some similarities between the two reverses. Being the head on a stalk like neck and the gap between the ship and the sea. Also the exergue seems to step up on the RHS rather than sweep slowly. But I'm sure you're right tho. I couldn't be that lucky.

Hi all. Just a quick one if you'd be so good. Do I keep this one or sling it in the scrap? I know what I'd like it to be but I'm easily confused.

Hi all. This came amongst a box of foreign coins. The best that I could find via Google suggested a temple token. And a couple of Indian friends thought it very old and very valuable. Not that I think it is. It's around 20mm diameter and non magnetic. Don't think it's silver either. Just an interesting little coin. Does anyone have any clues please? Bob.

Thanks Paddy. That's definitely the coin I have. I'd not considered tin as an option, but it feels like it. Interesting to know now what it is. Not my bag really so if you or anyone else would like it, I'll post it on FOC. Bob.