Jubilee Head Half Sovereign Edge Milling

[Rob]

Afternoon all. Anyone with an example or examples of a Sydney mint half sovereign that they can compare with a London mint coin. The milling count is fewer on an 1889S here than it is on an 1887 London, but the latter has an identical number to a London veiled head half. Both are different to a young head, so the milling number does vary over time. The weight is 3.96g instead of 3.99g. As an unlisted high shield variety, suspicions have been aroused. I don't win the lottery. The engraved part and die axis are ok.

[1887jubilee]

I thought for a minute this might have been posted on April 1st. but I see it has not. So I have compared 10 x 1887 half sovereigns YH   JH  London, Melbourne & Sydney.   Close JEB, spread JEB, no JEB and proof. A painstaking process which made me double check the date of posting again to make sure you were not having me on. I have not weighed them. The result is 109 lands and troughs + or - 2. you need a very steady hand eye coordination to do this. 

How many are on the 1889S?

 

Edited April 17, 2016 by 1887jubilee

[Rob]

Thanks Andrew. Sorry, made a mistake on the one with the larger number. It is the 1889 which has the larger number of milling lines and is roughly 9 on the 1887 for every 10 on the 1889, or 10 for 11, so quite a difference all the way round. I haven't counted the total number, but on the basis of your 109 would be close to 120.

I'm wondering if there were collars used in Australia that were a throwback to the young head period when the number of milling lines was greater. However, if your 1887S has a similar number to the London, it would suggest they were probably the same as mine. Given the only half documented for Sydney in 1889 is one with a low shield, I really need to compare with an example of that. Anyone?

[1887jubilee]

I think you better do an actual count and see what you have. I know it is difficult but I did mine using my fingernail as a light clicker round the rim. I emphasise LIGHT. Gold is so soft.This will not work if you chew your fingernails.

[Colin G.]

A good way is to get an old torch reflector and put the coin inside, the edge will then appear reflected, and can easily be photographed to allow you to count them on an image.

[Rob]

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