jelida

You will have difficulty finding any die detail specific to the Heaton mint other than the letter ‘H’ as the working dies were prepared at the Royal Mint from their master dies and sent to Birmingham for striking. The Heaton mint did not develop their own dies. And don’t confuse differences due to die wear, depth of strike, clashed dies etc as differing varieties. It’s a potential minefield. Jerry

It could be a filled die but I am not convinced of the presence of an ‘H’. Either way, I would want a clear cut example for my collection rather than one that will likely remain uncertain. In terms of grade, don’t confuse the UK grading system with the US Sheldon scale; their AU is more akin to our EF and their EF40 is about our VF. The book you need is https://coinpublications.com/product/the-standard-guide-to-grading-british-coins/ Jerry

For me the new posts are at the top, below any ‘sticky’ posts so it must be possible. Or you can always click ‘unread posts’ top right. Jerry

Note the publisher, Chris Perkins, has just posted on another thread on this topic, there are a few copies of the current Freeman available on the link he provides. Essential reference, and not expensive. Jerry

It doesn’t really cover the varieties at all, more to do with the history behind the coinage and details of its manufacture. Michael is still advertising it on his website Michael Coins. For pennies he has a book purely on the Victorian penny series and it’s worth enquiring as to availability, that does cover the varieties. The latest Freeman also covers most significant varieties but not the minutiae. Also possibly out of print, but these do appear occasionally on EBay. Don’t forget that the commoner issues are all still ‘varieties’ and by no means all are easy to find. Jerry

Don’t be afraid of acetone, it would be my first port of call unless the adhesive is water soluble. Acetone won’t alter the coin in any way. Jerry

Just revisiting my 1858 5/3 or 5/2, perhaps this was Bramah 25B. Pic attached. Note the limb to the left of the top loop of the 8. Jerry

Yes, some people continue to describe an 1858 5/3 for various nondescript overstrikes, doubling etc but it has long been suspected that a genuine 5/3 doesn’t exist. Perhaps likely candidate for Bramah 25B 5/3 is what Gouby describes as 5/? with the protrusion on the left within the lower loop of the 8. There has been suggestion that 25B is over a 2, though of course 1852 pennies were never issued and the survival of an 1852 die for six years until use is also unlikely. That doesn’t eliminate the possibility of an erroneous digit punch being used in a die repair though. Jerry

Show us clearer pics when it arrives. Definitely worth a punt at that price. Jerry

Somewhere between 2 and 3 grand I suspect, but could go higher on the day. It’s very difficult to predict for these serious rarities as it depends on the bidding of two people who have a gap to fill and really want it. Jerry

Well done, another nice spot. In general misplaced repairs with the correct letter/digit are not as heavily collected as those where the wrong letter/digit has been used, but do still carry a significant premium. Gary is a member of this forum, and is a very experienced bronze and copper collector 😉. Jerry

The lack of H was the first thing I spotted! And with the gap between R and I of BRITT this looks a genuine one! Stunning purchase, GF details for me, probably previously cleaned but still one of the better ones. Bosh ! Jerry

And welcome to the forum. It is good to question any anomalies you may spot as true new varieties are still out there - at least three genuinely significant new Victorian pennies have first been described here over the last decade or so. Don’t be afraid to keep posting and show any interesting acquisitions. Jerry

Buy the coin if it ticks boxes in your collection, but not just because of the doubling which is so common as to be normal especially in the earlier years of this coinage. Jerry

Hello Jackie, I’m afraid I have to disagree with AI, this doesn’t appear to be a deliberate design and I doubt that it is a coin. As a detectorist, as well as obsessive collector, I have over the years found similar items, some are welding spatter and others the result of molten metal spill. A couple look like silver and are certainly white metal. The pitted surface is the side that landed on the ground, the other is the result of solidification, possibly with some crystallisation . My thoughts anyway. Welcome to the forum, don’t be afraid to post your queries. Jerry

Good spot, and an absolute bargain penny. The half is probably Rhuddlan too, the reverse reads OND.ON for SIMOND.ON.RVLA. Found a nice cut half of SIMOND detecting years ago. Jerry

That’s nice, if others have been recognised that likely increases the desirability. I still doubt that it is a deliberate design modification though, given that the planning for the bronze currency was already well advanced. Jerry

The 1859 is interesting, not a deliberate ‘ribbon’ I suspect, perhaps a die flaw or foreign body impact or result of die clash but if more than a ‘one off’ could become collectable though probably not at a massive premium. The 1858 small date is scarce rather than rare, unless combined with large rose reverse which yours is not. Maybe a small premium over large date but value is low I think due to poor condition. Jerry

Definitely different coins. A complaint is certainly in order, and negative feedback. I would point out to the vendor that the coin is still legally yours, and that it has unique features that make it identifiable in the future. However sadly legal action , even should the opportunity arise, would likely be prohibitively expensive. No harm in publicising the vendor if you don’t get redress. Jerry

Sounds good, but we still need photos! Jerry

Lovely! I have one in similar condition, the Copthorne example and now yours are the only other ones I have seen. Jerry

Under ‘Professional ways to store collections’. Strangely there are also two ‘British coin type set’ threads. Jerry

Pure Acetone is your friend here, just bathe the coin for a few minutes and dab gently with good quality cotton wool, or brush with a very soft brush while still immersed. Practice on lesser coins first, and beware that acetone is highly flammable and volatile. Available on EBay and most chemists. Jerry

No, it’s definitely CIVI TAS, the AS is very clear and there are four characters beginning with C in the CIVI quarter. Always worth looking out for spelling and positional errors though, I’ve got a Henry III penny of Hereford reading HENRICS , also a known variety. Jerry

Yes, both are pennies given the weights. For a complete coin, weight is usually a good starting point. You really need to use the information and guidance available to you and become your own ‘expert’ rather than relying on others who clearly don’t care what they tell you. Jerry