1861 shilling

[pies 33]

Hi all your village idiot here

Can you have a look at my 1861 shilling the first 1 in the date has a vertical line down the right which to me looks like a poor stamp

Any ideas ?

[Peckris 579]

Hi all your village idiot here

Can you have a look at my 1861 shilling the first 1 in the date has a vertical line down the right which to me looks like a poor stamp

Any ideas ?

What you call a vertical line is actually the right hand edge of the 1. It's overlying another 1, over which it's been repunched (not exactly unknown in that reign!)

[pies 33]

Why overstrike a 1 with a 1

how has that affected the value

[Peckris 579]

Why overstrike a 1 with a 1

how has that affected the value

It's usually for one of two reasons - either the first attempt was poorly done, or the die has begun to wear badly at that point. It's very common before the early 1880s when the technology changed. Despite the very very many posts here by hopeful members, it is unlikely to have affected the value. Occasionally you get things like a 1787 shilling or an 1882H penny described as having a 'retrograde 1 over 1", but usually a repunched date or legend doesn't cause much excitement. Unless the underlying character is different.

[pies 33]

Cheers they seem to have done some weird stuff back then

[Peckris 579]

Cheers they seem to have done some weird stuff back then

Not weird so much - remember, they didn't have reducing machines, so the matrix they worked from was the size of the actual coin : it's actually a tribute to them that there wasn't more in the way of errors.