Blank half penny

[Guest Grant]

I have recently aquired what I think is a George VI half penny. It has the correct obverse but the reverse has no evidence of ever displaying any information. The coin isn't in spectaculaur condition but all of the type is readable and George still has his ear detail.

Can anyone give me more information about this coin and its value.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Grant

[Chris Perkins]

You'd better join and post a scan.

[Guest PWEIZATION]

I've scanned the half penny but it won't let me attach the scan to my message. I've tried a 600k bmp, jpg and an eps with no luck.

[Chris Perkins]

How big is it as a jpg? email it to cp@predecimal.com

[Guest PWEIZATION]

Hi Chris

Did you recive my half penny scan.

Ave' a good en'

PS forgot to log above in sorry

over and out

PWEIZATION

[Chris Perkins]

Yes, and I've attached it to this message.

It could be an error, it could have somehow been smoothed down after leaving the mint. Either way, the side that does have a design on it is so awful, I doubt you'll find collectors falling over themselves to own it.

To weigh it accurately would be interesting, as it might proove one way of the other.

Send it to me if you like, I can measure the thickness and weight pretty accurately.

[william]

Strange, I've got a George VI farthing just like that...

[Master Jmd]

Those scratches look suspicious. If you notice, there are at least five or six quite visable scratches on the blank side, whereas there are none that i can see on the reverse.

If that coin was to have been purpously rubbed down to its blank, a few scratches would occur when not done with accuracy. But I cannot say whether it is real or not...it looks convincing.

[william]

My farthings got scratches on the blank reverse too, but it does have a few on the obverse as well.

By the way Jmd, i think you mean obverse...

[Emperor Oli]

The obverse looks very much like it has been melted. A few weeks ago I held some coins over the hobs over the cooker to see what happened to them, and a George Vi halfpenny turned the shade of red which you see on the obverse - could the reverse have been burned off?

[Guest Guest]

I've come across this before and think there could be two reasons. It was a novelty , while learning the "workshop techniques" section of the RAF Apprenticeship course, to use the machinery available to 'erase one side of a coin, taking it down to half thickness, to enable two of the beasts to be braised together to form double sided coins - for obvious reasons! No doubt the practice was widespread in workshops all over the land.

The other reason was for love-sick boys to engrave sweet messages on the blank side as a gift. Take your pick - or other members of the forum may have other instances.

[Geordie582]

Sorry, That last post was me! I forgot to log in - I'm at a remote location,

[william]

Wow! That could've happened. Mine's half thickness, but there's no engraving on the reverse

[Guest PWEIZATION]

Thanks for all your imput folks, if anyone would like a higher res scan to inspect I would be glad to e-mail it to you.

I started this topic as unregistered GRANT. I am now registered as PWEIZATION.

Cheers

[Peter]

I've got about 10 coins in my " Shove Ha'penny" set which was inherited from my Grandfather 30 years ago....One is a bun Victoria (a 1871 no doubt) where the reverses have been polished flat.

The rest are Eddies and George 5th's.

Usefull for the game......What does nark me however are all these idiots who have cleaned,drilled,defaced,made jewellery,enamelled coins.....over the years.......ancestors of the present Chav/Bling boys!!!!!!!!!