David Hill

That’s right, 1984, page 284 final paragraph.

I don't know enough about the striking process to say whether this variety is a one-off striking error or a consistent die flaw. Unlike the 'dot before date' variety, I have never come across this before.

Before she gave the coin to me in the 1960s, it belonged to an elderly lady who had probably never heard of Coca-Cola.

The reference to the 1/48 in brass comes from McCammon p284 where he states “A pattern1/48 shilling struck in brass has been reported”. Not a very definitive reference!

Nothing interesting that I can remember. They became the basis of my much expanded CI collection in the ensuing years and, apart from this pair, I can't now identify the original coins.

This coin appears to have been struck on a brass flan and could be a proof or trial piece. I can find no reference to this coin having been minted on brass, but there are other examples of Heaton Mint coins reported on brass and various other metals, e.g. the Jersey 1877H 1/48 Shilling. This is one of a pair of identical coins from a small collection of Guernsey coins given to me in the 1960s by an elderly lady whose father was a Guernseyman (born 1858). Comparison with a normal 1885H Double shows a clarity in this coin's features (as if it had been double struck like a proof piece), in particular see the definition of the dots around the rim, the lettering of GUERNESEY and the lions' faces.