jelida

Certainly barbarous, though I think this one might be modelled on a later coin, as it doesn’t appear to have the radiate crown. Possibly the model was from the house of Constantine. Jerry

Very interesting, particularly the first. I think the second and third are fairly clearly repeatedly misplaced but otherwise correct repairs of the B with a B punch. The first is more uncertain and there are a couple of options. I suppose a really grossly misplaced B punch is still most likely but an O or D could also be candidates. Jerry

Excellent! I just love vintage valve HiFi, particularly EL84 and KT66 amps, I still have a couple of dozen various makes/systems. M-O were widely considered one of the best manufacturers today, and command a premium. I am not technically particularly able, though I can generally undertake amplifier repairs. As in so many things, I am driven by the collecting bug, I also have thousands of LP’s, several series Landrovers, many hundreds of antiquarian topography books and a very patient wife. I also collect real ale, but can never seem to hold on to it for long. Jerry

The die is made of iron/steel, and the infill would have to be adherent and hard. I have no idea what would be suitable. Jerry

I understand this can be done but do not know for sure how, and I can’t remember where I came across it. Die letters do fill in use presumably with metal particles. I understood that the die recess could be filled with powdered metal/alloy of a fractionally lower melting point than the die metal, then the whole heated to the melting point of the fill followed by working/punching/polishing then annealing of the repaired die ready for use. But without a reference I cannot confirm this. Certainly a die is far too hard and thick to tap up from behind to replace any metal ground away from its surface. Jerry

Which is exactly why I voted Brexit, along with just over half the voter total, the majority left leaning. Stuff economics, democracy and self-determination is what really counts, for better or worse. Oops, another contentious topic. Slap on wrist! Jerry

Ah, I see. Well it clearly entered circulation somehow, so that is one possibility. Another is a sticky fingered child. One of my pervading childhood guilts is that I took and spent a couple of half crowns from a bag in dad’s desk. He wasn’t pleased, he had previously collected better early C20 examples from circulation . I think I managed to share the guilt with my brother though, so a small victory. Jerry

Or that it’s not a silver proof? There is definitely that coppery tinge to the obverse hi lights. Jerry

I doubt you could grind out the full depth of a misplaced repair on a die without creating a massive and obvious bulge in the field of a struck coin. Far easier to fill the die locally, polish the die surface (field on the coin) and re-punch the necessary repair. And I do agree re the HALP halfpenny, all those I have seen look very much like a flaw, especially when compared to the 1860 E over P penny which is clearly an erroneous repair with a clear clean loop of the P. Some nice discussions over the last couple of days, Penny-wise. Jerry

I am sorry, Larry, but I just can’t relate any of this to the known realities of blank manufacture and striking. We firstly have to accept that the only effect that the die can have on the blank in striking is to reflect the surface contours of the die, by causing metal flow in the blank under pressure that enables the die design to be accurately represented. Anything beneath the surface of the die is irrelevant, and when you refer to design being removed leaving ‘scars’ you must be referring to the die being altered by filling of die features, if this happened , probably followed by polishing of the die (the field) any ‘scars’ would be seen best and perhaps only on a high grade coin. You do seem to have accepted this in now suggesting (elaborate and pointless) treatment of the blanks. There is nothing but your conviction to support this, no mint records of the complex and elaborate process that would need to be applied to million upon million of blanks, the majority of which were sourced for the RM by external contractors ( Watt, Heaton and possibly others). Given the costs and time and equipment involved there would undoubtedly be records, and given the pressure on production in the early bronze years that necessitated outside contracts why would you waste time and effort on a secret process of internally ‘etching’ blanks with a secret design that even on destructive analysis of the coin remains invisible to the vast majority of observers? But I do welcome your pics of die and letter repairs that can be seen by conventional close-up photography, it would be nice to see the 1860 B/R close-up. Jerry

This 1860 penny sold on EBay a few days ago, I did put in a lowish bid but was deterred by the apparent corrosion, others were clearly more optimistic as it went for over £300. If it does clean, a bargain. If not, I suppose the price is fair, it appears to be excessively rare. But which is it? The obverse is clearly one of the thick rimmed early pattern/currency coins, but I cannot tell if the gaze is horizontal or downward. I cannot make out the shamrock etc clearly on the bodice. The reverse shield detail is delineated by double raised lines, not treble. Is this one of the Freeman 8 coins? Any ideas? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/-/202347077689?nordt=true&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l10137 Thoughts appreciated. Jerry

Welcome to the forum. If you collect pennies you will spend a lot of time here, why not join the forum as a member and tell us a little about yourself. Jerry

Spink gives £130 in VF so you haven’t done too badly I reckon. Looks like a nice coin, enjoy it. Jerry

Whatever your view on another forum member’s opinion the above post is entirely inappropriate and you should remove it or apologise for your language and personal abuse. We do not always have to agree but we do have to disagree in a civil fashion. Jerry

You have rotated it the wrong way sideways. Try rotating the N anti-clockwise, then it fits perfectly. 🤗 Jerry

Well this is an image I have adored for over 50 years, and it is only when you start to examine it forensically that you realise the posture is unattainable. But I don’t think there is any mystery here, the technique has been used a multitude of times over the millennia. It is known as ‘artistic license ‘. LCW may not have been the best artist on the planet, but after a few very minor modifications over the first couple of years the resultant image is appealing, was popular and struck well in the new medium (bronze). I am not sure photo-realism has ever really taken a hold in numismatics, if one discounts those ghastly Princess Di stick-ons. Jerry

Totally fake, as are most of his offerings on EBay. Jerry

Well, that clarifies my point about the upper half of the 3. I can see that a ‘spike’ appears to rise from the almost worn away lower curve, but I suspect this is an artefact due to the surrounding dents and the angle looks wrong for a 2 diagonal anyway. I don’t think photos can clarify this on such a worn coin, if you remain adamant I can only suggest getting an ‘in the hand’ expert opinion. Jerry

Why do you think it is 3 over 2 Richard? By comparison with my specimens, there seems to be a dent in the back of the upper half of the 3 giving the appearance of a detached spike , but the spike represents the back of the bulbous curve on an undamaged coin, which is why the upper curve of the 3 looks much narrower than normal on yours. Try superimposing the images if you can. This is a very worn, battered coin and I am truly surprised you can express a confidence of one in a thousand! (‘99.9% certain’). I’m dubious, sorry, as I would love to see clear-cut new varieties. Jerry

I wonder what the sales of the updated Freeman book have been, every serious penny collector will surely have bought one, and Gouby’s Specialist Edition too. Chris P, can you help? That is not to say every collector can afford four figure sums, but it would give an idea of the collector base. Jerry

Richard, the difference is so much more marked in your first two pictures, which are also closer in grade, what I think we need are close-ups of the first 1911 that you show. The subsequent pictures are certainly less dramatically different, particularly given the wear. I would go for a genuine difference on the first pics, but am less convinced by the second pair. Do you have that first 1911 to photo? Jerry

Interesting....do you have access to the coins? If so, could you take close-up photos of the two hands under identical lighting, Jerry

I was pleased to spot this as a 'buy it now' on Ebay, so I bought it then! Purchased on the first, it arrived today! I had been tracking it through Ebays 'Global Shipping' system, finally I can sleep at night. F24, with the missing top leaf. Cost me £150 all in, £40 of it postage via 'Global Shipping', what a p-i-t-a. But I wasn't going to argue, under the circumstances. One for your 'Rarest Pennies' page, Richard. Jerry

At a glance it looks like a Venetian soldino or ‘galley halfpenny’, widely circulated in the UK in the C16/17. Jerry

I think the market is more polarised, people simply don't want to live with such a poor coin in their collection but had it been in fine or better it would have soared. And it was bought well over the odds previously. And LCA does seem to be the place to sell pennies, for some reason. Jerry