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Here is a better image og the date. I can now see that the second number 8 is different from the first.

Wow. I had no idea. Thank you both, that is very interesting. I looked it up in the Freemans book and thought it was an F149 1 + B. I have only just stared to investigate all of the variants and I have a lot to learn. That's OK because that is what it is all about.

I concur. As you might guess, I do like Victorian silver (certainly including shillings) but have no real interest in die numbers or "micro-varietals" for that matter. Nothing against those that do, and more power to them. Now, some die numbers and their associations do interest me - like the DRITTANIAR issues of 6d that went to Cyprus & die number 6,etc.

Yes, this coin is superior to all that I have seen, regardless. It went MS 63PL and is the only prooflike YH verified at either major TPG. Some other specimens are verging on it, but just not quite there. I will tr to post some pictures, but am having trouble at the moment. (still!).

Although a better picture would be good, i think its Ca which is rarer still. Good investment " for a few pounds " king Kenny" 👍

I have been looking at Rod Blunt for some time, the link you attached has directed me further on the web page, how did I miss this? Doh, Many Many Thanks Im indebted to you. 👍

Did you know it's the 'bisect lines' 2nd numeral 8? Gouby marks as RARE in his latest pages. Looks like a Ba.

When I started working in 1974 I could afford to buy a few pennies from one of the mail order coin dealers. In those days you did not get a nice colour photograph of the coin you wished to buy, but rather just a brief description on a typed list. I bought this penny for a few pounds. I was a little disappointed when it arrived because of the black spots on an otherwise good looking coin. I was, and still am puzzled as to what caused these marks. The uniform pattern looks like marks left from a pierced metal tray

Hi I have a 1915 with broken tooth and a 1916 without yet studying ear identifying for valuation. appreciate feedback SJ

Hello and welcome. Ive been here only a short while but learnt loads, its a great place to be 👍

Thanks for all the kind words. @Paddy I've never actually bought a bulk lot of coins, and I'm thinking it's something I need to experience! Doing your hunting at someone's shop you don't risk being saddled with stuff you don't want, but perhaps I'm playing things a bit too safe. @Peckris 2 I have a comparable tale from much earlier this year. I was at one of my local antiques centres where I'd been rummaging the lower grade pennies for a while, finding very little. I moved on to some of the other offerings and gathered together a nice little group. Before I left I thought I'd dip my hand in the pennies one more time, and out came a 1951. You can't beat that moment of disbelief!

143 is correct

@secret santa On my coin I'm consistently counting over the 138 tooth count listed on the website for Freeman Reverse E. I read the following; THE 1860 BRONZE RECOINAGE OF PENNIES PAUL M. HOLLAND "The reverse D´ type has only been found paired with obverse 3, and is without the ‘rock line’, but having the sea strongly re-cut both near the shield and at Britannia’s foot. Roughly half of obverse 3 pennies have this reverse and the others reverse D*, except for a few with the rare ‘LCW below foot’ reverse E type. The 1860 LCW below foot type reverse E (Peck reverse D, Freeman E, Gouby e) has 143 border teeth and exhibits a strongly patterned sea very similar to that of reverse D´. It is only found paired with obverse 3 and appears to have been a failed experiment, with most examples exhibiting multiple reverse die cracks. Circulated reverse E coins also show that the lap of Britannia is quickly worn away, suggesting significant problems with die relief. A survey of more than twenty examples of ‘LCW below foot’ pennies shows that nearly all of them exhibit die cracks on the reverse, with at least four different reverse working dies known. The similarity of the strongly patterned sea between reverses D´ and E, coupled with the observation that reverse D´ has so far only been found paired with obverse 3, suggests a scenario where reverse D´ probably preceded the failed reverse E experiment, and then both reverses were abandoned" It must be a typo because the coin imaged as reverse E on the website site also has 143 tooth count. Ahd the Freeman book I have doesn't list the tooth count for Reverse E.

I remember switching from bags of pennies and halfpennies from banks to looking through brass 3ds. There was a 1949 in the first bag I looked through!

Fair enough. If you're putting in 11 hours a day 24/7 then you absolutely deserve the good luck you've had. I couldn't / wouldn't do it myself but hats off to you.

Thanks Mike, it is good to have a name and know a little more about you - we do get some odd types on the forum occasionally, people join for various reasons but it’s good to know you are a genuine collector. Your latest find of the F14 is also a good one, you see them occasionally on EBay and in the auctions but not often and the circumstances of the find show that your run of luck continues! The next coin fair that I will attend - I almost always do - is the Midland Coin Fair on the second Sunday of each month, details online. It would be good to meet you and talk rarities - I have had many penny rarities unrecognised at the MCF over the years, and of course on eBay and also from foreign dealers and auctions - a look at Richards site will show that - and yes indeed they are still out there and you clearly put the hours in. If you do want to build up a representative penny collection don’t forget the commoner coins too, and the coin fair is an excellent place to find those, often at very fair prices. Jerry

Welcome @Avocet! I too like nothing better than sorting through a big box full of old coins, both British and foreign, finding the few gems and identifying them in the appropriate books. Sadly these days the bulk lots in the auctions go for quite a lot of money, so more difficult to get them at an affordable price. Good luck with your future hunting.

First, welcome! I've been interested by coins my whole life - there would be an "International" party at the local uni and many of the students would give away coins from their home countries. I have lots of things in my db that I put "gift" into the list for the price! Many of those coins are in my collection to this day. I got serious about 2 years ago and I've got a thing for shillings. That can be ... interesting ... as an American but I've got coins from 1663 to 1970 and am enjoying filling the blanks. I hope you have fun here as I've found this place brilliant.

Since finding this place I've very much appreciated the wisdom and knowledge on display here. I'm hoping that in due course that I might be able to contribute some of my own! I started collecting in the last years of pre-decimal coinage, and with my dad put together a collection which gave us a lot of pleasure. I like to think that most of the good ones I found when I slipped behind the scenes at the Post Office where my mum used to work a couple of days a week; truthfully most of them probably came via my dad's Civil Service colleagues and friends! But I do vividly remember finding my 1950 threepence, completing the date run - not at all easy towards the end. We moved on to stamps, which was also fun but I never loved them in quite the same way. Following the demonization of our historic coinage our collection spent almost 50 years hidden away, but when I officially retired (kind of) I began to think about reinvigorating it. There were some easy quick wins, such as filling date sequences we hadn't really been committed to (or perhaps were raided by me when my pocket money was proving inadequate 😧). Our pre-1920 silver collection was particularly threadbare, and I was lucky to acquire examples of many of the types while the silver price was still reasonably sensible. But for me nothing in the coin world beats rummaging through boxes and bowls of coins. Although sometimes it's quickly clear that I'm not going to find much, I'm often surprised at some of the coins that dealers are ready to throw into their bargain bins. Enhancing the collection has also proved to be a fine way of remembering my dad (d.1997) in a very meaningful way. The collection definitely remains "ours".

Congratulations on finding a good one! Even if it was accidental.

Interestingly nobody gave an opinion on this coin. Is no news good news?

In a way I suppose its kind of compliment but maybe also a tad rude to suggest I'm being dishonest with these discoveries. If you are not putting in the legwork it doesn't mean other's aren't. With all due respect I invite you to invest a bit more time in looking for what you want. And maybe you will have some luck.

There is no way I could cook up this story, its too elaborate, its hard work paying off in the form of luck.

And to show you how poor the original photos were here is the same coin imaged with a DLSR with a macro lense and natural light + flash.