Gold 1960 Halfpenny

[Danelaw 208]

Just reading about the 1960 Elizabeth 22ct gold halfpenny. What a strange thing. £2,000 to £3,000 in auction, sold for £6,000.

Bizarre!

[Peckris 579]

Just reading about the 1960 Elizabeth 22ct gold halfpenny. What a strange thing. £2,000 to £3,000 in auction, sold for £6,000.

Bizarre!

This doesn't come up on Google. Do you have the link?

[Danelaw 208]

No, your right it doesn't.

I read about it in an auction catalogue. Quite long winded, but basically A person at the Royal Mint took a gold blank into work and ran a one off coin on the half penny dies. Not sure how the seller got the coin, but the Bank of England said it was off the farthing run but knew no more than that.

All very curious. Sold in March this year.

[Peckris 579]

No, your right it doesn't.

I read about it in an auction catalogue. Quite long winded, but basically A person at the Royal Mint took a gold blank into work and ran a one off coin on the half penny dies. Not sure how the seller got the coin, but the Bank of England said it was off the farthing run but knew no more than that.

All very curious. Sold in March this year.

But it's a halfpenny? Farthings weren't minted after 1956, or maybe that was a typo on somebody's part. In any case, a fascinating story.

[Danelaw 208]

My mistake...I meant Halfpenny

[azda 979]

A unique coin and only 6k. Cheap i say.

[Accumulator 52]

A unique coin and only 6k. Cheap i say.

Interesting story. I've wondered whether my 1966 brass penny was produced in the same way, though security for anyone working at the mint would surely be extremely tight.

[Rob 3,152]

A unique coin and only 6k. Cheap i say.

Interesting story. I've wondered whether my 1966 brass penny was produced in the same way, though security for anyone working at the mint would surely be extremely tight.

At the end of the predecimal era, the mint was relocating from Tower Hill to Llantrisant. It appears that most of the oddballs from this period were mint workers having a bit of fun. Very few coins produced in the mid-60s were of high value. You had the odd sovereign run, but the bulk was low value Cu-Ni and bronze. Nobody would be likely to pinch a lot of these and so a few unoffical strikes would easily get out. Though officaldom would probably have appreciated somebody relieving the mint of the odd million Churchill crown or two.

[Peckris 579]

A unique coin and only 6k. Cheap i say.

Interesting story. I've wondered whether my 1966 brass penny was produced in the same way, though security for anyone working at the mint would surely be extremely tight.

At the end of the predecimal era, the mint was relocating from Tower Hill to Llantrisant. It appears that most of the oddballs from this period were mint workers having a bit of fun. Very few coins produced in the mid-60s were of high value. You had the odd sovereign run, but the bulk was low value Cu-Ni and bronze. Nobody would be likely to pinch a lot of these and so a few unoffical strikes would easily get out. Though officaldom would probably have appreciated somebody relieving the mint of the odd million Churchill crown or two.

Yes and no! Llantrisant would be the new Mint of course, but only for decimals. Which means it must have begun work in 1968 though only officially opened in 1969 I believe? The Tower Hill Mint continued to produce the remaining predecimal coins, so although there may have been some staff transfers, the technology all stayed in place and the job continued much as before. I also believe that London started producing the proof sets? As it didn't close until 1975 I assume they must have been doing something to justify its continued existence and proof sets would seem to be one way to keep going for a short while.