Bronze & Copper Collector

For those that remember Groucho and his show 'You Bet Your Life', where if you said the secret word you got $100 ($50 each contestant). Let us not forget the contestant who tried to collect the bonus by saying "THE SECRET WORD". I don't know if they ever collected the $100 or even if the segment ever aired, but it does make for interesting conversation and is somewhat apropos...

This is an intriguing thread, which makes me want to bring up two issues. 1) My personal pet peeve is regarding those that say “I COULD care less”. I have always said “I COULDN’T care less” inasmuch as it, to me, is more logical. If you could care less, then it has at least some modicum of importance to you. If you couldn’t care less, then it is of the absolute least possible importance to you. Yet, for some reason, both are used interchangeably, and accepted as meaning the same thing. 2) Being neither a student nor scholar in either languages in general or specifically in Latin, I would ask whether the fact that the various Latin words in question are used in a sentence written in English would have any bearing on the issue. Would the Latin words that have entered the English language be subject to the rules of Latin Grammar or the rules of English grammar, or would a combination of correct Latin grammar and common English usage be the ultimate determinant of acceptable use? Would this be considered to be within the guidelines for the accepted evolution of a language?

Indeed.... And reinforces the difficulty of working from images...

MEA CULPA, NOTHING ELIMINATES IT.. Upon further close examination, I'll recant my opinion and state that I now consider and believe YOUR original assessment of it being an obverse 2 to be the correct one. It only serves to reinforce my belief that NOTHING substitutes for DIRECT EXAMINATION OF THE COIN IN HAND!!!

From the image, I don't think it is a 2, 3, 5, or 7.... (1 is automatically eliminated inasmuch as the coin does not have a beaded border..) Leaving either 4 or 6. If you don't think it's a 4, then it is most likely an obverse 6. Again, nothing substitutes for direct examination....

My personal assessment and attributions are to categorize them as F-274a variants. Inasmuch as the F-274a is considered to actually be a 6 over higher 6, unlike the F-282a which is clearly a 6 over 8, I consider all the various incarnations of 6 over 6 to be F-274a variants. Again, these are only my thoughts and how I have classified them in my collection..

If I did this correctly, it should link to different variants of the F-274a that I posted a while back... http://www.predecimal.com/forum/topic/3664-coin-aquisition-of-the-week/?page=30&tab=comments#comment-39212

Can't tell for sure, but I am leaning towards an Obverse 4 or 6.....

Obverse 5

That's essentially the NORTH & SOUTH of it....

Apparently you are POLES apart....

Apropos to the above: A man travels to Spain and goes to a restaurant near the bull arena for a late dinner. He orders the house special and he is brought a plate with potatoes, corn, and two large meaty objects. "What's this?" he asks? "The Matador Special, Senor," the waiter replies. "What meat is it?" the man asks. "Cojones," the waiter explains, "They, are the testicles of the bull who lost at the arena this afternoon." At first the man is disgusted; but being the adventurous type, he decides to try this local delicacy. To his amazement, it is quite delicious. In fact, it is so good that he decides to come back again the next night and order it again. This time, the waiter brings out the plate, but the meaty objects are much smaller. "What's this?" he asks the waiter. "The Matador Special, senor," the waiter replies. "No, no," the man objects, "I had the Matador Special yesterday and it was much bigger than this." "Senor," the waiter explains, "the bull does not always lose."

I believe it is what Iain Dracott identifies as a F over F in his Victorian Half Penny article... More defined than in my specimen.... Nice example of the variety....

Here is the example in my collection. I thought I had another, but I can't locate it now. Possibly sold on ebay, but I can't access my records in turbolister...

We better hope that eBay doesn't read this. They might get the wrong idea....

Tin NOT included!!!

A job for Allen Stockton...

If that were the case, it would beg the question of what years are available to take the "0" from. I am probably missing a date as I am writing this without referring to a guide, but the only dates on copper pennies that have a "0" in the date are 1806, 1807, and 1860.... 1808 excepted as unique.. I believe they have a method of softening the metal around the digit and moving the metal as required....

Entire Reverse

Entire obverse

Just for comparison, here is mine...

Not to be too picky, but just to confirm that it is a typo and not an error in the RM system, I assume you meant to write December 31, 2020, not 2021... If it does say 2021, then their system has serious problems and argument could be made that it is unreliable and untrustworthy...

"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." - Sherlock Holmes - (The Sign of the Four - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I concur inasmuch as I think I see a shadow of part of the final digit which looks like parts of a 1.....