Value of 1839 Proof Isle of Man 1/2 Penny?

[VickySilver 830]

I noticed that in the last Heritage Sale at the ANA in Boston that there was a proof(64) 1839 Isle of Man Half Penny on sale that ultimately fetched $1150 with "the juice"/commission.

Is this a rare coin, as I had not seen it previously, and I wonder what the value would be in merrye olde Englande?

A bit out of my area but wondering if any readers had knowledge or thoughts with regards to this.

Edited August 18, 2010 by VickySilver

[Rob 3,152]

I noticed that in the last Heritage Sale at the ANA in Boston that there was a proof(64) 1839 Isle of Man Half Penny on sale that ultimately fetched $1150 with "the juice"/commission.

Is this a rare coin, as I had not seen it previously, and I wonder what the value would be in merrye olde Englande?

A bit out of my area but wondering if any readers had knowledge or thoughts with regards to this.

It's a difficult one because the collector base is small. Seems like a strongish price to me, but if genuinely FDC is probably not too far over the top. In Spink's 2003 Coins of Scotland etc the FDC price is given as £350. 7 years on a near doubling is probably reasonable. It gives me an incentive to sell my 1786 halfpenny too. Anybody interested

[VickySilver 830]

Hiya, thanks as to the value thoughts. What about scarcity? I know the 1860s are prohibitively rare, these likely not quite so.

[Rob 3,152]

Hiya, thanks as to the value thoughts. What about scarcity? I know the 1860s are prohibitively rare, these likely not quite so.

There is more material available than serious collectors of the series, though somebody with a fairly comprehensive British collection will probably get a few examples from Scotland, Ireland, and the islands to add a little diversity. They are scarce in top grades but not rarish unless you are talking mint state. I've got no idea of the quantities of proofs extant. The 1860s book at £2000 & £3500 compared to £350 for the 1839 in 2003.

The BNJ index reveals no articles on Manx coinage up to 1999 which probably speaks volumes about the level of interest. The only reference to quantities in the 2003 book is to the 1733 copper issue which states that £300 in pence and £200 in halfpennies were struck.

The bibliographical references for Manx coinage are P Nelson, 'Coinage of the Isle of Man' - Numismatic Chronicle 1899, and contemporary forgeries of the 1733 coinage in SNC 1901. Maud Lister's 'Manx Money' (1947); F Pridmore's 'Coins of the British Commonwealth of Nations part 1 (1960) and C Clay's 'On the Brass, Copper and other Currency of the Isle of Man' in the Proc. Manchester Num. Soc Parts I-V (1864-7) are the only other refs. Nelson and Pridmores areticle are likely to be the easiest to acquire, though there is a chance that the Lancs and Cheshire Society or Manchester Museum still have the last article. Keith Sugden at the museum or Bob Lyall who is into colonials might know. It won't be easy finding the articles, let alone accurate mintage figures.

Edited August 18, 2010 by Rob

[DaveG38 405]

Hiya, thanks as to the value thoughts. What about scarcity? I know the 1860s are prohibitively rare, these likely not quite so.

There is more material available than serious collectors of the series, though somebody with a fairly comprehensive British collection will probably get a few examples from Scotland, Ireland, and the islands to add a little diversity. They are scarce in top grades but not rarish unless you are talking mint state. I've got no idea of the quantities of proofs extant. The 1860s book at £2000 & £3500 compared to £350 for the 1839 in 2003.

The BNJ index reveals no articles on Manx coinage up to 1999 which probably speaks volumes about the level of interest. The only reference to quantities in the 2003 book is to the 1733 copper issue which states that £300 in pence and £200 in halfpennies were struck.

The bibliographical references for Manx coinage are P Nelson, 'Coinage of the Isle of Man' - Numismatic Chronicle 1899, and contemporary forgeries of the 1733 coinage in SNC 1901. Maud Lister's 'Manx Money' (1947); F Pridmore's 'Coins of the British Commonwealth of Nations part 1 (1960) and C Clay's 'On the Brass, Copper and other Currency of the Isle of Man' in the Proc. Manchester Num. Soc Parts I-V (1864-7) are the only other refs. Nelson and Pridmores areticle are likely to be the easiest to acquire, though there is a chance that the Lancs and Cheshire Society or Manchester Museum still have the last article. Keith Sugden at the museum or Bob Lyall who is into colonials might know. It won't be easy finding the articles, let alone accurate mintage figures.

Coincraft quotes a total mintage for 1839 IOM halfpennies as 214,080 (£446!), but no figures for proofs. However, it must be a heck of a lot less. Coincraft also quote a price of £240 for a UNC Proof in 1999, so you could extrapolate from there. By comparison, they quote a 1860 proof at £1500.

[VickySilver 830]

Wow, all this makes the purchase seem to be a two thumbs down proposition...

[HistoryTreasures 0]

Vicky, I think the value would be exactly the same, in merry ole' England. That's the thing with these big auction houses, they attract so much attention that it makes little difference what country it is being sold in.

[Guest Campbellcabs]

Hi, sorry for butting in but I stumbled across this thread while investigating some old coins I have. One being the 1839 Isle of Man penny. How would I go about selling my old coins? Thanks in advance for any help you can give

[VickySilver 830]

This coin to a layperson is a bit unusual but would have to be in exceptional state of preservation to be worth anything & in all likelihood is not a proof. Perhaps to post a picture & you might even get lucky by one of us buying it (if it were nice or a proof, that is). Depends where you live as to where you might sell it; if the coin is rather lower in level of preservation probably not worth the trouble...

BTW, I never did find another recent record of a sale of this particular OP coin - the 1839 Proof Halfpenny. So very rare likely, but who cares?