Michael-Roo

My attempts at re-photographing were rather poor. Way too dark. So, I've adjusted the original photos. A slight improvement, but still not showing as much detail as I'd hoped. The coin is much better than this (sharp hair curls, armour, Brit's face etc)….

Hi A. The coin is much sharper than these photos would suggest. I'll try to get better ones later today. Its certainly better than other 1717/1718 halfpennies I have which I would consider VF. The Nicholson example didn't sell, but I've found record of a DNW auction in June 2006 where one in Fine condition sold for £100. This, and the Nicholson collection listing are the only references I can find. http://www.dnw.co.uk/auction-archive/prices-realised/results.php?auction_id=81&layout=detailed&offset=400&limit=80

Here's a 1718 dump halfpenny GVF with the first N of Britannia struck over an A. An unrecorded variety, but I see there is a less well preserved example (GF) which appears in the Dr. Basil Nicholson collection where it is described as 'extremely rare'. Would anyone care to suggest a value for my coin? Thanks all.

Apologies. That was was sloppily written. I have two 1673 no obverse stops farthings. One almost fine. One bold good fine. There. That's better. Re: The 1889 crown: F. Again, go with P's grading. Nice coin, NVF at best.

Actually, when I said 'NVF' I was being optimistic. Its very nice but, I think P is more accurate. I'd probably be happier with 'bold' good fine (now there's a contentious grading, if ever there was one!)….. I have a 1673 no obverse stops farthing. Colin Cooke's notes say he knew of only four examples. None better than good fine. Indeed, the one in his collection is only near fine (IMHO), although he listed it as fine. I have two. One near fine (similar in grade to his). The other what I would describe as (here we go again) bold good fine. Who knows. Maybe one of the best examples surviving? Should I upload images?

Pretty close F. I'd be most likely to say near Very Fine?

Thank you Chris. I just happened to be going through my tray of C18th tokens and noticed this overdate. I've had most of these for 20+ years, so its odd I'd not noticed before. This afternoon I've been consulting the D&H book online and it seems to be No.89, which they list as RRR. Nice to know but of no importance. I'm not looking to sell it.

Birmingham Mining and Copper Company halfpenny. Payable at Birmingham, Redruth, Swansea. The 7 of the date is clearly punched over a 9. Does this overstrike make it a rarity?

Sorry. Just seen your mention of a missing Rev.D being a possible 12 1/2 date width. Still makes the A/B/C/D/E thing a bit confusing for me (laughs). 13 deffo the wide date then. Just wondering how rare it might be.

Thank you J. Mine is 13 teeth, as can be clearly seen from the photo I attached. I"m now a little confused. The only web info I could find for him stated there are three reverses, 13 teeth being Rev.C (A being 11 teeth. B being 12 teeth) What is Rev.e E? And, indeed, in that case, what is Rev. D? Either way, at 13 teeth being an example he'd only ever seen one example of, it looks like mine is the rarest variety after all?

You can see can't you, how someone like me who is out of his comfort zone when attempting to I.D tiny hammered coins like these, can get it wrong. I was convinced the first coin was showing annulets, as per 1912A or, as Geordie suggested: 1852.

Thanks V.

Thank you again. I bought the coin with which I began this thread as an 'unresearched hammered farthing' around two or three years ago. The one I've since added to the photo was bought as 'hammered halfpenny, possibly ED I-ED III' around the same time. Nothing groundbreaking but, as the total cost for the two came in at about £12, definitely worth having! :-)

Thanks both. I don't have the books. Hopefully someone reading the thread topic, who does, will be kind enough to look it up for me. I can't find anything on the interweb (apart from M Gouby's date width varieties). I can't find any info for him having had a reverse C (13 teeth) for sale, which led me to believe it might be the rare one. Any thoughts regarding the absence of die flaw on the colon after D on the obverse? Peck. I'd rated as near EF too. Ta!

Here it is next to a coin I did buy as a hammered halfpenny. You're right, I think. Even though the other coin is a little larger the inner circles are the same size on both. Can you identify this second coin?

They do look similar, don't they. One thing I notice though: mine has a bust which looks smaller within the inner circle than yours does. You're probably right about the annulets, though they do seem more pronounced in the first photo I took, even though its not as sharp as the second.

The distinctive sloping shoulders may help identify it? Annulets too.

Hi Clive. Not round (as you can see) so: 11mm wide diameter. 9mm narrow diameter. My digi scales have a graduation of 0.1g. It reads 0.3g!

I have an 1870 wide date penny. This is the Michael Gouby reverse C. Thirteen teeth from the centre of the 1 to the centre of the 0 (His normal width date being 12 teeth. Narrow width date 11 teeth). How scarce is mine compared with the normal variety? Also: Spink list 1870 as obv. 6 rev.G. The accompanying notes state obv.6 always displays a prominent flaw on the top stop of the colon after D at the end of the legend. Mine doesn't seem to have this flaw. Any thoughts?

Thank you Geordie. The other possibility (?) is Spink 1912A. I see that one does display smaller annulets. What do you think?

I've tried to get a sharper photo of the obverse (attached). Difficult to get a sharp image of such a tiny coin….

Amulets? My apologies. Annulets….

Images attached. Amulets in the obverse field either side of the bust? May help to pin it down.

Thanks again for the information Clive. No. Not a job lot. I buy hammered now and then. Not my main area of interest, but I do feel they serve as nice contrast to all the copper and tin. I ave a tiny hammered farthing which needs identifying. I'll post after writing this.

Here's a nice one…. George V and Queen Mary's visit to Bidston Mill, Wirral, in March 1914 (not far from us). Crown sized medal in copper. Strong EF. Good to have the original ribbon still attached.