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It is hard and takes time to compile a list of threepences when you have to flick through Groom, Gouby, Rayner and Davies! It is exhausting and very annoying if you miss a variety. To add, if you are a new collector it can be a bit difficult and over-whelming to know where to start so a nice easy list is needed - I could have done with it when I started. And it could serve the needs of more accomplished collectors who may have missed a variety (please don't take that as an insult, I know you worked very hard for your collection :) !!!) So here they are all in one place for your convenience. 

 

I have added in some varieties which are near impossible/only a millionaire will get them, for some fun, of course these are not needed for a complete collection but just of interest, I am sure you can tell which they are. 

 

1834, D of D:G to gap, small head

1834, D of D:G to bead, large head

1835, D of D:G to gap, small head

1835, D of D:G to bead, large head

1836, D of D:G to gap, small head

1836, D of D:G to bead, large head

1837, D of D:G to gap, small head

1837, D of D:G to bead, large head

1837, stop at the left of the foot of 7

1838

1839

1840, 40 level

1840, low 40

1840, 0/0

1841

1842

1843, small 43

1843, large 43

1844, small 44

1844, large 44

1845, small 45

1845, large 45

1846 (varieties, but difficult date so I can't be bothered!)

1847 (varieties, but difficult date so I can't be bothered!)

1848

1849 (varieties, but difficult date so I can't be bothered!)

1850, full hair

1850, a die fill is recorded on this date leading to the following that I have seen (1) missing hair by bun. (2) missing hair by bun and O of VICTORIA incomplete.      So what is next on this die fill, is there one with the O missing or part of the R or T missing - do you have one? I would love to see it

1851 (varieties, but hard date so I can't be bothered! However there is the rare 1551 instead of 1851 threepence!!!!)

1852(varieties, but hard date so I can't be bothered!)

1853 (varieties, but hard date so I can't be bothered!)

1854, 54 below 18

1854, 54 level with 18

1855, curved top bar of 5

1855, flat top bar of 5

1856

1857, C of VICT plain

1857, C of VICT with serif, I/I in VICT

1857, C of VICT with serif, bottom left foot of I missing

1857, date varieties but I think collecting the above is enough

1858, C of VICT with serif, G with short crossbar

1858, C of VICT with serif, G with long crossbar

1858, 8/6

1858, BRITANNIAB

1859, C of VICT with serif, G with short crossbar

1859, C of VICT with serif, G with long crossbar

1859, C of VICT plain, G with short crossbar

1859, C of VICT plain, G with short crossbar, I/I of VICT

1859, 9/8

1860, plain C of VICT

1860, C of VICT with serif

1861, plain C of VICT, small gap between 61

1861, plain C of VICT, medium gap between 61

1861, plain C of VICT, wide gap between 61

1861, C of VICT with serif, small gap between 61

1861, C of VICT with serif, medium gap between 61

1861, C of VICT with serif, wide gap between 61

1861, D/B in D:G

1862

1862, BRITANNIAH, one sold at London Coins in 2016 for £280!

1863

1864

1864, tall 4

1865, flat 5, thin top bar, belly of 5 open

1865, flat top bar of 5, small gap between top bar and belly of 5 due to the top-bar being concave, closed belly of 5

1865, top bar of 5 gradually pointing upwards, like in italic typeface

1866

1867, I of VICT to gap, bump under top bar of 3 (very small, need a loupe to see it)

1867, I of VICT to tooth,  bump under top bar of 3 (very small, need a loupe to see it)

1867, I of VICT to tooth, no bump under top bar of 3

1868, I of VICT to gap

1868, I of VICT to tooth

1868, RRITANNIAR

1869 is maundy only, I believe so not on a list normally

1870

1871

1872

1873

1874, 4 has t-bar tail

1874, 4 has tail that curves upwards

1875

1876

1877

1878

1879

1879, heavily re-engraved hair, to be honest I do not get this one - you need a good example to be aware what variety it is - best to look at some pictures, any description I put here would not suffice and perhaps you may be even more confused

(1873-1879 has varieties with concerning the nose, I can't be bothered with that here)

1880

1881

1882

1883

1884

1885

1886

1887 Young Head

1887J, cross on crown has 3 dots around it, BRITT:

1887J, cross on crown has 2 lines and one dot around it, BRITT:

1887, cross on crown has 2 lines and one dot around it, weak top colon of BRITT:

1887, nothing around cross of crown, BRITT:

1887, weak lines around cross of crown, BRITT.

1887, nothing around cross of crown, BRITT.

1888, three dots around cross

1888, 2 lines and dot around cross

1889, 3 dots around cross, cross on reverse has an engraved border, I of BRITT to bead

1889, 2 lines and dot around cross, cross on reverse is plain

1889, 2 lines and dot around cross, cross on reverse has engraved border

1889, 3 dots around cross, cross on reverse has an engraved border, I of BRITT to gap

1890, cross is plain on reverse

1890, cross on reverse has an engraved border

1891

1892

1893J

1893V, I of REGINA to gap

1893V, I of RENGINA to tooth

1894V, I of REGINA to gap

1894V, I of RENGINA to tooth

1895

1896

1897

1898

1899

1900

1901

1902

1903

1904, I of IMP to tooth, 3 close to ribbon

1904, I of IMP to gap, 3 close to ribbon

1904, I of IMP to tooth, 3 far from ribbon

1904, I of IMP to gap, 3 far from ribbon

1905, I of IMP to tooth

1905, I of IMP to gap

1906, I of IMP to tooth

1906, I of IMP to gap

1907

1908

1909

1910

1911, I of BRITT to tooth, straight stalk

1911, I of BRITT to tooth, kinked stalk

1911, I of BRITT to gap, straight stalk

1911, I of BRITT to gap, kinked stalk

1912

1913

1914, P of IMP to bead

1914, P of IMP to space

1915

1916

1917

1918

1918, cud in where the two o's of the 8 meet on the right hand side, this is what Davies was alluding to when he wrote 8/9 in his reference guide! Not really a variety, but put it in anyway

1919

1920 (in 92.5% and 50%, basically impossible to tell apart unless you go to your nearest university and ask them very kindly if you could use one of their machines, not quiet sure what it is called, to check the metal content)

1921

1922

1922, second leaf up on right hand side has a stalk going out touching the rim. This is a cud but for 'completeness' have added it in. I have only seen one in about two months of looking and bought it (lucky me), have looked for a further couple of months and have not seen any. So very rare - a good one to hunt if you have finished your collection!

1925

1926, NE, I of IVS to bead

1926, ME, I of IVS to space

1928

1929

1930

1931

1932

1933

1934

1935, legend close to teeth

1935, legend further from teeth

1936

1937S

1937B, small gap above REE, B of BR to corner

1937B, small gap above REE, B of BR right of corner

1937B, large gap above REE, B of BR to corner

1937B, large gap above REE, B of BR right of corner

1938S

1938B

1939S

1939B

1940S

1940B

1941S

1941B

1941B, 194L, most likely a cud - if you have one show us a picture!

1942S

1942B

1943S

1943B

1944S

1944B

1945B

1946

1948

1949

1950

1951

1952

1953, shallow

1953, high relief

1954

1955

1956

1957

1958

1959

1960

1961

1962

1963

1964

1965

1966

1967

 

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Well, 1923 Copper-nickel/nickel pattern maybe?

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6 hours ago, VickySilver said:

Well, 1923 Copper-nickel/nickel pattern maybe?

This list is only for circulation coins as that is what most collectors collect - I just wanted to make an easy checklist for them (and me).

 

thankyou though for the reply

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What are the 1846, 1847, 1849, 1852 and 1853 varieties? I see nothing in Davies or Bull.

Also, why are 1847, 1848 and 1852 missing in Davies altogether?

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On 3/7/2022 at 9:41 AM, Mr T said:

Also, why are 1847, 1848 and 1852 missing in Davies altogether?

Are they Maundy only perchance?

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Maybe but Collectors Coins Great Britain says not, and neither does https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces4412.html

Some of them have mintages listed too which isn't conclusive but it'd suggest at least some of the years were made for circulation.

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I am not convince about the "Struck for Colonial use only" bit that was in ESC for so long. Maundy at the time was quite variable in strike, surface and quality and with enough span in variances to encompass the specimens that I have seen or held in hand or even own from sources ranges from Spink to auctions (many venues)...

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On 3/7/2022 at 9:41 AM, Mr T said:

What are the 1846, 1847, 1849, 1852 and 1853 varieties? I see nothing in Davies or Bull.

Also, why are 1847, 1848 and 1852 missing in Davies altogether?

1846 and 1847 - part of the ribbon at the bottom is missing

1849 - double striking of the 4 and 9 has been noted

1852 - double striking of the 5 and 2 has been noted

these are minor minor varieties, nothing to get too concerned about, having one of each date is enough i’d say

1853 - there are none, note to self: I should really double check my list 🤦‍♂️!

 

I am guessing he didn’t know they existed or he might have thought they were maundy only??????

 

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Well, doubtlessly many know more than I but at least Mr. Steve Hill tends to concur in several conversations. You will have nearly endless varieties of the issues from late 1840s to early 1850s with overstruck letters and dates, etc. I have a couple that are absolutely Maundy and bought in sets that have this. Keep looking at coins of the 1846-1853 period specimens and you no doubt will find many.

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Which bit are you unconvinced about - that they were struck for colonial use or that they were struck for circulation at all?

I'm not too familiar with the early threepences but I'm guessing that most surviving examples are Maundy money and they're generally rare because either they were exported or not actually struck (for circulation) but at this point we have no way of knowing either way.

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