Victoria 'old head' penny with 2 heads!

[basecamp 0]

slightly excited by my latest coin its only a Queen Victoria penny probably 1900 (ish) but it has her 'old head' on both sides of the coin - both sides are identical! Thats why cant tell the year it was minted as Britania is not there.

Is this error something I should get excited about or was this fault common place and there is hundreds in circulation?

[Chris Perkins 228]

I wouldn't get too excited, in 99% of times they are cleverly engineered trick coins made from 2 halves, hollowed out around the beads so that the edge shows no join.

[basecamp 0]

Chris thanks, on close inspection the beads are intact and it does not look like it has been hollowed out. There is however an extremely fine (microns) line around the outer edge as if 2 coins may have been joined together. Old 'dints' on the edge pass over both sides of this line. However if it is a trick it must have been done many years ago as this coin has just surfaced from underground and definetely has not seen daylight for a long time!

Is this trick you refer to an old or modern technique?

[Chris Perkins 228]

I've certainly seen coins of about that age that have been stuck together. Even back then, a double headed coin would have been handy to have if you wanted your team to bat first!

[basecamp 0]

Ha! Of course cheating Victorians!

I might stick it on ebay for novelty value!

thanks for prompt replies - not excited now so will go back to watching England beat the Russians at Wembley.

[Bronze & Copper Collector 412]

Chris is probably correct....

These turn up periodically on ebay.....

I think I even have one somewhere.......

[Hussulo 6]

Chris is probably correct....

These turn up periodically on ebay.....

I think I even have one somewhere.......

Yes I too have a Vicky one. The only real way you can tell is to look at it through magnification.

That's not to say real ones don't exist however they are quite are rare and valuable.

I have only seen genuine British examles on more modern coins from the 1970's.

I have got a two tailed coin but it's not British.

[Bronze & Copper Collector 412]

Chris is probably correct....

These turn up periodically on ebay.....

I think I even have one somewhere.......

Yes I too have a Vicky one. The only real way you can tell is to look at it through magnification.

That's not to say real ones don't exist however they are quite are rare and valuable.

I have only seen genuine British examles on more modern coins from the 1970's.

I have got a two tailed coin but it's not British.

NICE !!!!!!!!!

[Hussulo 6]

NICE !!!!!!!!!

Edited September 13, 2007 by Hussulo

[basecamp 0]

I will upload an image of the edge of the coin shortly, the line is extremely fine I would love to know how they managed to actually join 2 coins in this way?

[basecamp 0]

Heres the join line! Some one tell me its not and that it is actually a genuine coin!!!

[Hussulo 6]

Heres the join line! Some one tell me its not and that it is actually a genuine coin!!!

In my honest opinion its two coins joined together. If it was original the edge would be normal and you would not have a join. What they have done in this example is to file or sand down the reverses of two coins and join them. I bet you the weight isn't correct.

I have an example the same and one were the reverse has been machined out and even though the edge is ok you can make out a small line around one of the border. If I have time over the weekend I will take pictures of them to compare.

These forgers/pranksters were quite fiendishly good at their work.

[scottishmoney 34]

If they do a better job on it, they hollow out one coin, and then shave down the edges slightly on the inserted coin. My son has a quarter that is called a magicians coin, it has one quarter hollowed out, the other quarter shaved down on the sides, and inserted. So he has a two headed quarter with two different dates!

[basecamp 0]

What do they use for glue?

[Geordie582 18]

Usually soldered! This sort of thing was common as showing off engineering skills while in an apprenticeship.

Edited September 14, 2007 by Geordie582

[Chris Perkins 228]

I've got a wonderful old Victorian book on glues and pastes! It lists all the receipes for making glues suitable for just about everything. Problem is, many of the ingredients are no longer easily available or have changed their names.

[basecamp 0]

Cow hoof glue would be appropriate looking at your Avtar!

[Chris Perkins 228]

I expect 924 the cow is probably long been turned into T-Bone and Rump.

[scottishmoney 34]

As well as glue and paste.

One of the interesting situations I had to find a glue to use on something was when I bought a 200 year old book and the leather was peeling off the board. Basically you make a paste from flour and water and use that as a glue, it is not harmful, and is of course water soluble so if someone wants to conserve something in the future it is not a problem.

The book is "Tables of Interest" published by the Royal Bank of Scotland in 1806, and has exchange rates for contemporary currencies as well as weights for gold and silver coins.

I expect 924 the cow is probably long been turned into T-Bone and Rump.

And she was a beauty memorised in your avatar for all the ages. Ta bad.

[Colin G. 147]

Cow hoof glue would be appropriate looking at your Avtar!

Completely off topic, but Basecamp, what is your avatar? I have looked at the image time and time again, but I just can't get it . I know it is going to be one of those pictures where once someone points it out I will say "doh!!"

Please put me out of my misery

[basecamp 0]

To put you out of your misery its a brooch I found last month, its is partially embedded in to sediment that has since 'concreted' (turned to rock). It is now in the hands of the Resident Archiologist of Durham Cathedral (as it was found on their land) who is trying to date/identify the find.

Any guesses as to its age? (for scale thats my thumbs bottom left and the Archeologists hand middle right!)

[Colin G. 147]

To put you out of your misery its a brooch I found last month, its is partially embedded in to sediment that has since 'concreted' (turned to rock). It is now in the hands of the Resident Archiologist of Durham Cathedral (as it was found on their land) who is trying to date/identify the find.

Any guesses as to its age? (for scale thats my thumbs bottom left and the Archeologists hand middle right!)

How did you find it, was it a detector find?

[basecamp 0]

No, we are doing some work which is yielding a few finds, although not one of the best this ones my favourite.