Anchor Penny (Light Coinage)

[Coinery 1,157]

BCW cite Challis in their book, saying that the Anchor coinage was light. Taking a look at the anchor penny I've just bought, would suggest that the pennies were clearly struck on much smaller flans!

Here's a size comparison (different busts, of course) of a threefarthing (0.48g) and the Anchor penny (0.50g):

Also, below is the same bust as seen on the anchor penny, but here on a threefarthing (rose behind bust) AND a different Privy Mark penny in the next post! I think the inner circle is clearly smaller on the anchor penny when compared to the other penny? It looks to me that the inner circle is far more threefarthing-like, suggesting that the 1599/1600 punters were only getting threefarthing's worth for their penny?

Edited January 11, 2014 by Coinery

[Coinery 1,157]

And the penny (sorry about the images...just a quick photo from a book).