Pennies...

[Master Jmd 50]

How can i tell if i own a penny that is;

1912, 1918, 1919 = H?

1918, 1919 = KN?

1926 = mod effigy?

1945 = 9 double (2 dies)?

1953 = proof?

...i have more then one of all of the coins from those dates, but i do not know where to look for the things that i have put after '='...

can anyone help?

[Chris Perkins 223]

Coins with 'H' or 'KN' are easy, even on worn examples the date has a small 'H' or 'KN' to the upper left.

Modified effigy on 1926 is very difficult to spot on worn coins, with the modified effigy the BM initials on the truncation (bottom) of the Kings neck appear just as 'BM' to the right of the truncation. With earlier un modified head pennies the BM appears as 'B.M.' more in the middle of the truncation.

1945 double '9' i've never looked out for, but I would imagine you'd need a good magnifying glass (just like the one I sell!) to spot a double struck '9' which will appear as 2x '9's on close examinination, one on top of the other.

1953 Proofs all look very prooflike, with mirror like fields. They are not that common in circulation.

[Master Jmd 50]

Thanks chris ...it turns out that i own a 1912 'H' and a 1919 KN...

[Master Jmd 50]

...umm, sorry to trouble you again, but can i ask what do they mean?

[Chris Perkins 223]

The H means it was made at the Birmingham Mint of Ralf Heaton, and the KN indicates it was made at the Kings Norton mint.

Basically they were not made at the Royal mint like most other coins.

[Master Jmd 50]

oh right...thanks

[custard1966 1]

A good way to distinguish the 1926 ME is to look at the colon dots between GRA and BRITT

on the normal reverse the colon is midway between 'A' and 'B'

on the modified effigy the colon is clearly closer to 'A' than 'B'

this is helpful when the coin is worn

and Heaton mint pennies of the 1870s and 80s have the H central, below the date.

Another variety one worth looking out for is a 1940 with a single exergual line - one on sale for £95 in aUNC (no lustre) on E-bay recently.

[Master Jmd 50]

Another variety one worth looking out for is a 1940 with a single exergual line

how come this 1940 coin is not in my britains coins market values 2004 book?

also:

what is OT and where on the coin...

also, how can you tell if a 1902 or 1897 penny has a lower/higher horison?

[custard1966 1]

There are dozens of varieties of pennies and no general catalogue will list them all - you need more specialist reference books

OT stands for Ornamental Trident (as opposed to PT for the plain trident). This refers to the shape of the trident head on copper pennies (i.e. Pre-1860)

All PT pennies have the colon after DEF close to DEF (referred to as 'near colon')

All OT pennies have the colon after DEF away from DEF (called 'far colon')

1839-1851 are all OT, from then onwards both types occur (and for 1853 there's a varierty with the colon between near and far)

The 1902 low-tide penny has the sea level noticeably BELOW where Britannia's legs cross - on the high-tide (common) variety the sea-level is at the point where the legs cross.

For the 1897 high-tide variety, the sea level is just below where the legs cross, on the low tide variety it's noticeably lower.

[Half Penny Jon 0]

Another variety one worth looking out for is a 1940 with a single exergual line

how come this 1940 coin is not in my britains coins market values 2004 book?

also:

what is OT and where on the coin...

also, how can you tell if a 1902 or 1897 penny has a lower/higher horison?

It is listed in Spink under George VI

[Chris Perkins 223]

Young Master JMD doesn't have a Spink.

[william 0]

He is desparately in need of Spink...

[Sylvester 15]

He is desparately in need of Spink...

i don't have a spink either.

[Emperor Oli 0]

ooh buy one it's only £18

[Sylvester 15]

ooh buy one it's only £18

i'm currently saving up for a coin, Spink can wait.

[Master Jmd 50]

where can i get a 'spink' from?

[william 0]

where can i get a 'spink' from?

I don't know exactly, but it might be on the Spink website, or you could ring Spink up: 020 7563 4066, or email them on info@spink.com. Hope this helps

[Emperor Oli 0]

Larger WHSmiths sell them, as do Waterstones. I got mine from Stanley Gibbons in London. They're easy to find in normal bookshops, without ringing Spink's or emailing them

[william 0]

Larger WHSmiths sell them, as do Waterstones. I got mine from Stanley Gibbons in London. They're easy to find in normal bookshops, without ringing Spink's or emailing them

Really?! I have never seen a copy of Spinks in a single bookshop, including WHSmiths and Waterstones.

[Emperor Oli 0]

In WHSmith they put them in Reference or Antiques & Collectables and I'd guess the same at Waterstones

[william 0]

In WHSmith they put them in Reference or Antiques & Collectables and I'd guess the same at Waterstones

Thanks, I'll try looking there next time

[Chris Perkins 223]

I got my 2003 copy in the main Belfast WHSmith, they had a few. I got the 2004 from a friend in the trade (practically free!).

If I offered the 2005 when it's out, how many of you would promise to buy it from me?

[Master Jmd 50]

i would buy it if it only costed 50% of normal retail price...seeing as you can get them for free...

[Emperor Oli 0]

If you offered some kind of discount I would definitely purchase it from you as long as you got it as soon as they came out....

[Half Penny Jon 0]

Really?! I have never seen a copy of Spinks in a single bookshop, including WHSmiths and Waterstones.

I got mine from my local Ottakers bookshop, and I have seen a copy in all of my local bookshops.