Leaderboard

"Scott" is reference to another member here who has a particular affinity with metal-detectorist coins! As for cleaning - be very careful and don't use anything abrasive or corrosive. One technique is to soak in clean water and then put in the deep freeze. Wash off and repeat several times. With luck this will split off some of the Verdigris and crud without damaging the underlying metal.

Thanks Paddy. I agree, I now think it is just an H. There is a lump of verdigris half on this feature and it appeared to be a 2. I am a metal detectorist so don't dig many collectable condition coins. These bronze coins sometimes come up in lovely condition with beautiful green, brown and almost black patinas depending on the chemicals that have been added to the soil over the years. Others come up in horrible condition. I have dug Roman, Edward hammered pennies, a James I sixpence and even a New England, Masachussets Pine Tree 3d in poor condition.

The tide levels for all the 1874 pennies I believe are "low" compared to some later ones, so there is no variation with that. (Low and high tide varieties are of interest in the veil head Victoria and Edward VII pennies.) I have downloaded your picture, rotated it and expanded as far as I can. I think we are going to have much better photos of the "2" to accept as that and not a damaged "H" as there are no other records of a die number in that location for an 1874 penny. The reverse on your coin appears to be Freeman H, which is the most common for an 1874H penny.

Wonder how that got here - the mind boggles

You forgot the pray to god bit LOL

What does that mean? Scott no value? 🙂

Maybe in hand things are clearer but the coin appears to be in such a shocking condition that it is very hard to make any firm decisions on it. It is highly unlikely (impossible ?) that an 1874 penny will suddenly turn up after 150 years with a die number on it.

1899 is *the* year for varying date widths - they occur from narrow to very wide