tracyaw

Ah, thank you both for your explanations.

After checking my rotographic books I noticed that 1868 has a lower mintage than 1869, so why is the 1869 much rarer than the 1868?

I'm clearly missing something here. Is the coin on the BBC story a fake?

I have a two pence coin year 2000. I have had it ages in my jar I take to Asda when it gets full, anyway I every time I put it in the machine it is rejected. But it is odd. I saw the news Item today about the silver 2p and decided to check mine. I bundled it in a roll with several other two ps and it stuck out like a sore thumb. So I asked my hubby to see if he could spot the odd one out in the roll and he got it right away. The coin is same size as a two pence but the copper is thin and flakey and underneath it is silver gray. The edge of the coin has most of the copper come away and it is silver coloured.

Yep, true. However as it is only a 1891, I didn't mind experimenting on it. just to see if the black stuff would come off. I would not clean a nice coin.

Whatever has caused it does not come off. I tried a small area with some Olive oi and a cotton bud.

The reverse:

Thanks for the replies. This was the first Victoria Penny I ever got and I have seen darker and shinier than this on ebay, and the camera seems to have watered it down a bit, and shown up dirt. Maybe the colour is what is called verdigris, or something like that, I have hear mentioned.

...some British Victorian Pennies Jet Black and shiny? I have tried looking it up on the internet but cannot find anything. Any knowledge on this appreciated. Thanks

Thanks Peckris

Oh right Peckris. I am not really familiar with recuts or repunch, I always thought anything that resulted in the coins legends looking double, is a double strike. What happens with a repunch/recut?

Looking through my 1860's this caught my eye, the Ts in Britt and the REG FD are double struck. Unfortunately quite a bit of corrosion:

I collect many 1862 Pennies and got this one recently. It is different in that the 6 2 are closer together and the the numerals look smaller in comparison to my other 1862s. I do not think it is the half pence die, but wondered if the 1862 Penny has a narrow date version.

It is normal bronze colour Peckris. I inverted it in photoshop to try and get a better image of the '1'.

I can't get a really good shot at the moment. I took a picture and inverted it, it looks like this, there appears to be a dotted ridge in the area under the one, and after more examination the other picture I took does make it look like a 'P'