Not even sure if it British

[MrDNA 0]

Hi everyone

I have a couple of coins which I would like your opinion on if possible. The first looks Medieval and has markings on, including what looks like a lion. The other is a Geprge VI Threepence from 1937 but is 'Silver' in colour.

http://s731.photobucket.com/albums/ww312/MrDNAcurry/Coins/

Any help would be much appreciated

Thanks

Phil

[Chris Perkins 223]

First one is a jeton (French counting token, they often turn up in fields). The threepence does indeed look very silvery, but do I notice signs of yellowy brass coming through, as if it were plated in a silver metal?

[MrDNA 0]

First one is a jeton (French counting token, they often turn up in fields). The threepence does indeed look very silvery, but do I notice signs of yellowy brass coming through, as if it were plated in a silver metal?

Hi Chris

Many thanks for your reply. And here was I thinking perhaps I had my personal Only Fools and Horses Harrison watch in my possession. Oh well better not give up the day job.

Regarding the threepence, I take it it wasn't very common for them to be plated?

Phil

[Chris Perkins 223]

If the threepence is plated (and shows signs of what lies underneath) then it's probably been plated by someone after it left the mint, for a laugh. But if it is actually a different metal all the way through, then it's probably a mint error. Threepences in Nickel are not unheard of and actually there was a Canadian coin which looked very similar to the UK 3d but was made of nickel. The Royal Mint have been known to rarely use foreign blanks.

Are there signs of yellow brass coming through, or signs of chiping of potential plating?

[MrDNA 0]

If the threepence is plated (and shows signs of what lies underneath) then it's probably been plated by someone after it left the mint, for a laugh. But if it is actually a different metal all the way through, then it's probably a mint error. Threepences in Nickel are not unheard of and actually there was a Canadian coin which looked very similar to the UK 3d but was made of nickel. The Royal Mint have been known to rarely use foreign blanks.

Are there signs of yellow brass coming through, or signs of chiping of potential plating?

Hi Chris

I hadn't really looked that close before and it was you who spotted the brass coming through so I guess from what you have said that it has been plated after. Many thanks for all your help.

Phil

[Peckris 579]

I have an absolutely identical 1937 3d, and I have always assumed it was chromed. I've never been that excited about it - I got it at an auction where other dealers were peering close at everything.

[TerryT 0]

First one is a 16th century Nuremberg token. I have no other info but you can easily find other online info sites by searching " Nuremberg+token". Second coin couldn't be on a Canadian planchet as they were round until 1942.

[Gary D 76]

First one is a 16th century Nuremberg token. I have no other info but you can easily find other online info sites by searching " Nuremberg+token". Second coin couldn't be on a Canadian planchet as they were round until 1942.

It looks like a plated 3d as the Canadian planchet is a lot thiner, see my avatar.

This nickel 3d which is part of my own collection has been confirmed by the Royal Mint to be an off-metal strike made from pure nickel. It weighs 4.52 grams and has a thickness of 1.5mm so is possibly a Peck 2371* although Peck considered his to be unique. As Peck's private collection was dispersed many years ago I have been unable to find the whereabouts of his example for comparison.

Although it remains to be proven, a likely candidate for the flan used to produce this 3d was the Canadian 5 cent produced from 1942 initially in brass. The reason brass was initially used was because the Ottawa mint was not able to handle the high pressures needed to mint nickel until the1946 5 cent appeared.

Another fact that leads me to believe this coin may likely be a trial piece for the Canadian 5c is that at this time the dies used by that mint were produced here in the United Kingdom and a pair of old 3d dies would ideally present themselves for modification for producing trial pieces.

[JOHN 0]

First one is a 16th century Nuremberg token. I have no other info but you can easily find other online info sites by searching " Nuremberg+token". Second coin couldn't be on a Canadian planchet as they were round until 1942.

It looks like a plated 3d as the Canadian planchet is a lot thiner, see my avatar.

This nickel 3d which is part of my own collection has been confirmed by the Royal Mint to be an off-metal strike made from pure nickel. It weighs 4.52 grams and has a thickness of 1.5mm so is possibly a Peck 2371* although Peck considered his to be unique. As Peck's private collection was dispersed many years ago I have been unable to find the whereabouts of his example for comparison.

Although it remains to be proven, a likely candidate for the flan used to produce this 3d was the Canadian 5 cent produced from 1942 initially in brass. The reason brass was initially used was because the Ottawa mint was not able to handle the high pressures needed to mint nickel until the1946 5 cent appeared.

Another fact that leads me to believe this coin may likely be a trial piece for the Canadian 5c is that at this time the dies used by that mint were produced here in the United Kingdom and a pair of old 3d dies would ideally present themselves for modification for producing trial pieces.

Sorry Gary,

Your info about the Canadian nickle is wrong. Here is a word for word quote fron the 2010 Charlton Standard Catalogue of Canadian coins.

"UNCROWNED PORTRAIT, BEAVER DESIGN, 12-SIDED, TOMBAC, 1942

Nickle is an important component of stainless steel and other alloys needed for producing war materials, so WW II put a great strain upon Canada's nickel producers. By 1942

it was decided that nickel would have to be suspended as a coinage material for the duration of the war and experiments were initiated to find a substitute metal for the 5 cent

piece. This led to the adoption of a 12 sided coin made of tombac, a kind of brass. The idea had come from the British 3-penny piece first issued in 1937. The tombac 5-cent

was given its shape so that when tarnished it would still not be confused with 1-cent pieces."

Also our 1922-42 5-cent pieces were 100% nickel so the presses were not the issue. But the 12-sided design in nickel was dropped in 1963 and the round design adopted again

because of longer die life.

Before you ask,What is tombac? It is .88 copper, .12 zinc.

[Gary D 76]

First one is a 16th century Nuremberg token. I have no other info but you can easily find other online info sites by searching " Nuremberg+token". Second coin couldn't be on a Canadian planchet as they were round until 1942.

It looks like a plated 3d as the Canadian planchet is a lot thiner, see my avatar.

This nickel 3d which is part of my own collection has been confirmed by the Royal Mint to be an off-metal strike made from pure nickel. It weighs 4.52 grams and has a thickness of 1.5mm so is possibly a Peck 2371* although Peck considered his to be unique. As Peck's private collection was dispersed many years ago I have been unable to find the whereabouts of his example for comparison.

Although it remains to be proven, a likely candidate for the flan used to produce this 3d was the Canadian 5 cent produced from 1942 initially in brass. The reason brass was initially used was because the Ottawa mint was not able to handle the high pressures needed to mint nickel until the1946 5 cent appeared.

Another fact that leads me to believe this coin may likely be a trial piece for the Canadian 5c is that at this time the dies used by that mint were produced here in the United Kingdom and a pair of old 3d dies would ideally present themselves for modification for producing trial pieces.

Sorry Gary,

Your info about the Canadian nickle is wrong. Here is a word for word quote fron the 2010 Charlton Standard Catalogue of Canadian coins.

"UNCROWNED PORTRAIT, BEAVER DESIGN, 12-SIDED, TOMBAC, 1942

Nickle is an important component of stainless steel and other alloys needed for producing war materials, so WW II put a great strain upon Canada's nickel producers. By 1942

it was decided that nickel would have to be suspended as a coinage material for the duration of the war and experiments were initiated to find a substitute metal for the 5 cent

piece. This led to the adoption of a 12 sided coin made of tombac, a kind of brass. The idea had come from the British 3-penny piece first issued in 1937. The tombac 5-cent

was given its shape so that when tarnished it would still not be confused with 1-cent pieces."

Also our 1922-42 5-cent pieces were 100% nickel so the presses were not the issue. But the 12-sided design in nickel was dropped in 1963 and the round design adopted again

because of longer die life.

Before you ask,What is tombac? It is .88 copper, .12 zinc.

Hi John, should have kept my source. I took the info from a Canadian coin site just over 3 years ago when I was looking into the likely planchet used for my nickle 3d.

[JOHN 0]

Hi John, should have kept my source. I took the info from a Canadian coin site just over 3 years ago when I was looking into the likely planchet used for my nickle 3d.

[Gary D 76]