Recuts or not recuts?

[zookeeperz]

Hi gents and ladies

 I was trying to get some better shots of my 1837 BRRITANNIA Sixpence so I thought i'll give it a quick check over everything make sure I haven't missed anything. I noticed that a lot of the William IIII coins esp shillings and sixpences have the IIII recut Obviously they must of had a severe problem making an I that stayed in 1 piece . Looked at mine and I first thought yes recuts but they are not. You look on the picture ans they are Inverted 1 over inverted 1 all 4 of them. Did this happen a lot? I know they were pretty ingenious with the ideas for repairs

[Rob]

I don't think it is a case of repairs, rather one of using the punches available. Throughout the centuries engrvers have been adept at making up complex designs from a series of small punches. If you have an I with a missing serif, it is easy to invert the punch to make a full character. It is certainly easier than making a new punch. Time and money, I think.

Other examples include making a composite G from a C with the upright added, or entering two Is with a crossbar added to make an H. An A was usually made from a V punch with the crossbar added, which is why they are frequently weak and so you need a top grade example to confirm that the crossbar was never present in order to claim an inverted V for A variety.

[zookeeperz]

On that note i'll pop this in as well was there any wide rim 1967 pennies? I know the 1967 half penny had wide rim obverse but I have not come across reference for wide rim 1967 pennies. I stumbled on it looking at the tridents and beading and rim finishes on the coins. I have only taken a real quick 7 coins and photography are all identical from the scope.

It looks like some had the beading sitting right under the rim but this only seems to happen on the coins that look like a more wired rim and the coins with beading away from the rims only appeared on the square angled flat rims. I marked the wide rim with arrow top left the other two arrows are the rim differences and relationship to the beading