Les Thomas

Hi guys. New to this and unsure how to start a topic. Watching a video that explained about die numbers under the date on 1863 pennies I decided to look at some coins I had to check for die numbers. I had an 1863 penny but no die number. However on an 1874 which to me seems like a 'low tide' variety, I noticed a central die number '2' under the date. When I tried to research the 1874 penny, I found the 'H' variety for that date, but couldn't find anything about die numbers. Is this something uncommon on an 1874? The coin I'm afraid came out of the ground and is quite green, but all the legends are clear and it is not unduly worn.

What does that mean? Scott no value? 🙂

Thanks Paddy. I agree, I now think it is just an H. There is a lump of verdigris half on this feature and it appeared to be a 2. I am a metal detectorist so don't dig many collectable condition coins. These bronze coins sometimes come up in lovely condition with beautiful green, brown and almost black patinas depending on the chemicals that have been added to the soil over the years. Others come up in horrible condition. I have dug Roman, Edward hammered pennies, a James I sixpence and even a New England, Masachussets Pine Tree 3d in poor condition.

Yes, things are a little clearer in hand. The coin is not nearly as bad as it appears in the picture but there are stone marks presumably from the plough. It is my poor photography that is shocking, but this coin was dug from the ground and looking at the wear did not spend a great deal of time in circulation. I would imagine it has spent 130 of those years underground in chalk soil. I have studied it under a magnifying lamp and what I thought looked like a 2 now appears possibly to be an H which would mean the Heaton mint mark. Is there anything I can soak the penny in to break up surface verdigris as there is a small lump right on whatever this mark is? The coin has a deep green patina due to it's reaction with the ground but is in a very stable surface condition. Many thanks for taking the trouble to reply.

My very limited research of the low tide variety indicated that if the waterline was below where the left leg of Britannia disappears behind the right leg, then that was a low tide variety. This tide line appears to be well below that point. I probably got that wrong, so forgive my ignorance if I have.

Apologies for the lack of photographic ability. Here is an iPad photo which is the best I could achieve. Underneath the date absolutely central between the 8 and 7 there is what appears to be a 2 I understand that a H might appear there but this doesn't seem to be an H. It appears to be a 2