Underweight 1903 halfpenny

[Peckris 579]

Thank you all for responding and especially to Rob who has given me that which was sought - some idea of variance percentages. I will now record my EF-ish black thing in my collection as a possible underweight flan and look for another 1903 specimen. Thanks for putting up with an old newbie.

Just as an aside - Ebay bargains do come along more than once. I have just picked up a 1876H narrow date (definitely at least fine condition) in with a load of other Victorian coins which although most of the others are at best fine, they fill gaps (and I'm a bit of a completer). I'm doing the lottery this weekend on the basis of luck coming in threes!

Thanks again for your help on the "black thing" subject.

Garry

Are we talking pennies here? The 1876H is commonly the narrow date variety, whereas the wide date is quite rare.

[coinan the barbarian 0]

Thank you all for responding and especially to Rob who has given me that which was sought - some idea of variance percentages. I will now record my EF-ish black thing in my collection as a possible underweight flan and look for another 1903 specimen. Thanks for putting up with an old newbie.

Just as an aside - Ebay bargains do come along more than once. I have just picked up a 1876H narrow date (definitely at least fine condition) in with a load of other Victorian coins which although most of the others are at best fine, they fill gaps (and I'm a bit of a completer). I'm doing the lottery this weekend on the basis of luck coming in threes!

Thanks again for your help on the "black thing" subject.

Garry

Are we talking pennies here? The 1876H is commonly the narrow date variety, whereas the wide date is quite rare.

Hi, Yes (silly me), we are talking pennies. I thought it was the other way round from referencing "Collector's Coins", but thanks for the update - I am happily corrected. So the one I had originally was the rarer one. Bitten on the bum again! The wide date is G to F and the narrow date was at least F so a slight diminution of overall worth. The ebay purchase was still a bargain but less so than before. Thanks again, Garry

[Gary 7]

Hi Garry,

Gary here, there are too many Gary's on here! First of all welcome to the forum.

That looks like a nice coin and I agree with Peckris comment that it has a similar apperance to mint darkened coins but what the mint can do so can others.

I presume the pic that you posted was unedited? If it was then I suspect the camera that you used was on its lowest resolution setting, go into menu and set it to its highest setting.

From a previous thread

"To have anything workable then the date pics have to be at least 500 pixels in width. If you are using a camera use the largest pic setting and get it as close to the coin as poss, if you are scanning use the highest resolution setting to

obtain the largest pic possible. In any photo editing software you have an option to save as .jpeg which will tell you the size of the saved file and allow you to compress

it to a given data size ie 150kb. If the quality of the pic is reduced too much by the compression then reduce the size of the original pic (usually under "Image" and then "Size" or "Resize"), say the original is 1000x500 pixels then reduce

it to 500x250 this way you reduce the data size by half (not quite true but good enough) and then save as .jpeg."

As to the weight issue I have listed my weights for halfpenny from this reign

1902 UNC 5.6g (Low Tide)

1902 UNC 5.6g

1902 UNC 5.5g

1902 UNC 5.62g

1905 EF 5.78g

1906 UNC 5.57g

an average weight of 5.61g

What is the weight of the 1876H penny on your scales?

[Peckris 579]

Thank you all for responding and especially to Rob who has given me that which was sought - some idea of variance percentages. I will now record my EF-ish black thing in my collection as a possible underweight flan and look for another 1903 specimen. Thanks for putting up with an old newbie.

Just as an aside - Ebay bargains do come along more than once. I have just picked up a 1876H narrow date (definitely at least fine condition) in with a load of other Victorian coins which although most of the others are at best fine, they fill gaps (and I'm a bit of a completer). I'm doing the lottery this weekend on the basis of luck coming in threes!

Thanks again for your help on the "black thing" subject.

Garry

Are we talking pennies here? The 1876H is commonly the narrow date variety, whereas the wide date is quite rare.

Hi, Yes (silly me), we are talking pennies. I thought it was the other way round from referencing "Collector's Coins", but thanks for the update - I am happily corrected. So the one I had originally was the rarer one. Bitten on the bum again! The wide date is G to F and the narrow date was at least F so a slight diminution of overall worth. The ebay purchase was still a bargain but less so than before. Thanks again, Garry

CCGB is a fantastic value little book, with lots more packed in than many more expensive guides. However, a few of the prices have to be taken with a pinch of salt - I think Chris Perkins (who publishes it) meant to show 'wide date' as the 1876H variety, not 'narrow date'. Another incongruity is the 1886 farthing - in reality it's as common as the 1884 and 1885, but CCGB shows it 4 - 5 times the value from VF to BU. If in doubt, compare against Spink, but always keep in mind that all price guides are only that - a guide, not a bible.

[Peter 615]

Thank you all for responding and especially to Rob who has given me that which was sought - some idea of variance percentages. I will now record my EF-ish black thing in my collection as a possible underweight flan and look for another 1903 specimen. Thanks for putting up with an old newbie.

Just as an aside - Ebay bargains do come along more than once. I have just picked up a 1876H narrow date (definitely at least fine condition) in with a load of other Victorian coins which although most of the others are at best fine, they fill gaps (and I'm a bit of a completer). I'm doing the lottery this weekend on the basis of luck coming in threes!

Thanks again for your help on the "black thing" subject.

Garry

Are we talking pennies here? The 1876H is commonly the narrow date variety, whereas the wide date is quite rare.

Hi, Yes (silly me), we are talking pennies. I thought it was the other way round from referencing "Collector's Coins", but thanks for the update - I am happily corrected. So the one I had originally was the rarer one. Bitten on the bum again! The wide date is G to F and the narrow date was at least F so a slight diminution of overall worth. The ebay purchase was still a bargain but less so than before. Thanks again, Garry

CCGB is a fantastic value little book, with lots more packed in than many more expensive guides. However, a few of the prices have to be taken with a pinch of salt - I think Chris Perkins (who publishes it) meant to show 'wide date' as the 1876H variety, not 'narrow date'. Another incongruity is the 1886 farthing - in reality it's as common as the 1884 and 1885, but CCGB shows it 4 - 5 times the value from VF to BU. If in doubt, compare against Spink, but always keep in mind that all price guides are only that - a guide, not a bible.

Well said I think we all know rare coins as Spink seems to miss them.

[coinan the barbarian 0]

Hello again,

just to respond to Gary who asked about some weights of 1876H pennies. Just checked out my scales again by weighing 2 x 2011 1ps. One came in at 3.52gms and the other at 3.58gms with the Royal Mint desired weight of 3.56 this would show that my scales are still OK. So the 1876H Wide date which is only Good Grade is 8.32gms and the narrow date which is Fine is 8.95 gms.

On the subject of coin catalogues/price guides - because I am collecting for my grandchildren's grandchildren and because I enjoy it, I felt that I needed a cheap point of reference around which to collect so CCGB was the choice, along with Check Your Change. I have no pretentions that my coins are worth megabucks, but I need to value them somehow for insurance purposes and so I keep a spreadsheet with the usual, I presume - condition, variety, etc and a valuation date and amount based upon recent ebay transactions (the true value being only what someone will pay for them) often this is in excess of CCGB or CYC but nevertheless a valid method. Only when I can not find a recent (12 months) transaction will I resort to using price guide valuation. I also record the source so I know where I am. If I ever come across something really rare or something for which I haven't a clue, I'll take a better picture - God how I hate cameras - and talk to the Forum Gods, thrones, powers, archangels, angels, heros and anyone else with an opinion (Thank you all so much "and I really mean it friends"). The black 1903 thingy is now on the spreadsheet without value but it does have a note of "Jerusalem" next to it.

If anyone can guess why it says Jerusalem, I will send them the black 1903 thingy to keep! Clue - I also enjoy films.

Garry

[Accumulator 52]

Thank you all for responding and especially to Rob who has given me that which was sought - some idea of variance percentages. I will now record my EF-ish black thing in my collection as a possible underweight flan and look for another 1903 specimen. Thanks for putting up with an old newbie.

Just as an aside - Ebay bargains do come along more than once. I have just picked up a 1876H narrow date (definitely at least fine condition) in with a load of other Victorian coins which although most of the others are at best fine, they fill gaps (and I'm a bit of a completer). I'm doing the lottery this weekend on the basis of luck coming in threes!

Thanks again for your help on the "black thing" subject.

Garry

Are we talking pennies here? The 1876H is commonly the narrow date variety, whereas the wide date is quite rare.

Freeman has R9 for the wide date and R5 for the narrow date, so the wide date is considerably rarer:

[Peckris 579]

Hello again,

just to respond to Gary who asked about some weights of 1876H pennies. Just checked out my scales again by weighing 2 x 2011 1ps. One came in at 3.52gms and the other at 3.58gms with the Royal Mint desired weight of 3.56 this would show that my scales are still OK. So the 1876H Wide date which is only Good Grade is 8.32gms and the narrow date which is Fine is 8.95 gms.

On the subject of coin catalogues/price guides - because I am collecting for my grandchildren's grandchildren and because I enjoy it, I felt that I needed a cheap point of reference around which to collect so CCGB was the choice, along with Check Your Change. I have no pretentions that my coins are worth megabucks, but I need to value them somehow for insurance purposes and so I keep a spreadsheet with the usual, I presume - condition, variety, etc and a valuation date and amount based upon recent ebay transactions (the true value being only what someone will pay for them) often this is in excess of CCGB or CYC but nevertheless a valid method. Only when I can not find a recent (12 months) transaction will I resort to using price guide valuation. I also record the source so I know where I am. If I ever come across something really rare or something for which I haven't a clue, I'll take a better picture - God how I hate cameras - and talk to the Forum Gods, thrones, powers, archangels, angels, heros and anyone else with an opinion (Thank you all so much "and I really mean it friends"). The black 1903 thingy is now on the spreadsheet without value but it does have a note of "Jerusalem" next to it.

If anyone can guess why it says Jerusalem, I will send them the black 1903 thingy to keep! Clue - I also enjoy films.

Garry

The 1996 movie "Jerusalem" is set in 1903? Or this, taken from a review of the same film : "an exploration of how human passion can ebb and flow and turn bitter in the face of "divine" pressure" Your passion as it ebbed and flowed after input from Forum "Gods"??

[coinan the barbarian 0]

Hello again,

just to respond to Gary who asked about some weights of 1876H pennies. Just checked out my scales again by weighing 2 x 2011 1ps. One came in at 3.52gms and the other at 3.58gms with the Royal Mint desired weight of 3.56 this would show that my scales are still OK. So the 1876H Wide date which is only Good Grade is 8.32gms and the narrow date which is Fine is 8.95 gms.

On the subject of coin catalogues/price guides - because I am collecting for my grandchildren's grandchildren and because I enjoy it, I felt that I needed a cheap point of reference around which to collect so CCGB was the choice, along with Check Your Change. I have no pretentions that my coins are worth megabucks, but I need to value them somehow for insurance purposes and so I keep a spreadsheet with the usual, I presume - condition, variety, etc and a valuation date and amount based upon recent ebay transactions (the true value being only what someone will pay for them) often this is in excess of CCGB or CYC but nevertheless a valid method. Only when I can not find a recent (12 months) transaction will I resort to using price guide valuation. I also record the source so I know where I am. If I ever come across something really rare or something for which I haven't a clue, I'll take a better picture - God how I hate cameras - and talk to the Forum Gods, thrones, powers, archangels, angels, heros and anyone else with an opinion (Thank you all so much "and I really mean it friends"). The black 1903 thingy is now on the spreadsheet without value but it does have a note of "Jerusalem" next to it.

If anyone can guess why it says Jerusalem, I will send them the black 1903 thingy to keep! Clue - I also enjoy films.

Garry

The 1996 movie "Jerusalem" is set in 1903? Or this, taken from a review of the same film : "an exploration of how human passion can ebb and flow and turn bitter in the face of "divine" pressure" Your passion as it ebbed and flowed after input from Forum "Gods"??

Totally wrong! I will put you out of your misery.

In the film Kingdom of Heaven, Balien of Ibelin (Orlando Bloom) on meeting for the surrended of Jerusalem and safe passage for the citizens, says to Saladin (Ghassan Massoud) "What is Jerusalem worth"? Saladin replies "Nothing" and as he walks away, turns and says "Everything".

[Coinery 1,157]

Thank you all for responding and especially to Rob who has given me that which was sought - some idea of variance percentages. I will now record my EF-ish black thing in my collection as a possible underweight flan and look for another 1903 specimen. Thanks for putting up with an old newbie.

Just as an aside - Ebay bargains do come along more than once. I have just picked up a 1876H narrow date (definitely at least fine condition) in with a load of other Victorian coins which although most of the others are at best fine, they fill gaps (and I'm a bit of a completer). I'm doing the lottery this weekend on the basis of luck coming in threes!

Thanks again for your help on the "black thing" subject.

Garry

Are we talking pennies here? The 1876H is commonly the narrow date variety, whereas the wide date is quite rare.

Freeman has R9 for the wide date and R5 for the narrow date, so the wide date is considerably rarer:

Haw, haw, what a lovely armoury you've got there! Being able to haul up a couple of images like that is what it's all about! I salute you!