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Aha, that one is safe with me.....😃 Jerry

As the world's population swelled over the past few decades, Santa's sleigh got heavier and heavier, requiring more reindeer to pull it. Santa hired two new reindeer as crew, Lee and Franklin. As part of their new hire training both Lee and Franklin go through a lot of physical training, navigational training, as well as a list of things that is to be packed on the sleigh. Franklin is going through the list of banned items. There are weapons, drugs, etc., but one item caught his curiosity... Cement. Franklin says to Lee "Hey, do you have any idea why cement might be banned?" "No idea, let's ask the boss. I can't see why anyone would want that" says Lee They both go to Santa's office and ask "Hey, Santa? Does anyone ever actually ask for cement for Christmas?" Santa, in the process of checking his list, puts it down and says "Yes. Every year there is a small village by a river that floods constantly. They ask for as much as they can get to build a wall. Every year I refuse". Both Franklin and Lee look at each other in amazement. That sounds like a great gift to give a village who needs it. Franklin then asks "But Santa, why would you ban them from having cement? It sure sounds like they could use it!" Santa turns to both of them and says... "Frank, Lee, my deer. I don't give out dams"

Here is my own widest date, which I think is an undocumented BP 1889Ad (R + r). Extra leaf is definitely visible, also right for a 'd' date width suffix.

Oh I'm seething now...ah well can't watch everything....:) Nice one Jerry! I'm raising a glass of Ujliesa Squinzano Rocca del Mori to you as I write this. (A present) First Xmas at home for 26 years.....

Actually all these widest date 1889s I've seen (half a dozen or so) are obverse R (when the leaf area is clear, that is) with the extra leaf and NOT obverse S. I think it's an error in Michael Gouby's book, and they all should be BP 1889Ad. I have never seen a positively identifiable 1889Cd. Not a huge worry as they are properly rare anyway, but for the sake of total precision, I believe they are all this die pair in actual fact.

Hi Pete, it looks as though your obverse probably has the extra leaf, making it Gouby Obverse R, and also looks like the 9 is wide enough to make it a BP 1889Ad. MG in his new pages has the widest 9 as only seen on Obverse S, i.e. BP 1889Cd. He has not documented a BP 1889Ad. Have you had opportunity to check the width accurately? I have just checked Richard's englishpennies and he has the widest date as Obverse R, but then called it a Cd. I think it needs to be either Ad (R + r) or Cd (S + r). Don't think the example is high enough grade to examine the important leaf area and decide which obverse type for sure anyway. Hoping this is making some sense as 2 bottles down today!

Yes, I wondered that. Good Point.

I would like to think that someone on here picked that up.

Was a lucky find really in a household goods auction online but not attributed. Auctioneers scans.