Penny Acquisition of the week

[DrLarry]

perhaps you could advise me on why a number of the letters are much thinner in some examples I have.  Here for example a very thin G ?  Is it down to the pressure applied to the punch? Or a letter stamp that is cut thinner?  This is on an 1862.   I find it interesting that the Mint would have any variability in the punches , whilst I accept that the penny is a lot less important than silver or gold,  you would think that there might be a small tray in some corner where the dies are kept and the punches alongside all checked and ready (sorry for my oversimplification) hence there would never be a mixture of type.  as an example that 1862 farthing with an 8 that seems to have nothing to do with the fat or small  appearing.  Or why the half penny numerals are mistakenly used.  Working practices intrigue me LOL 

Edited January 24, 2023 by DrLarry

[secret santa]

I fear we shall never know.

[terrysoldpennies]

I would have thought that in those days the letter repair punches would have been hand made , and therefore every one would be very slightly different , also when the working dies were repaired the depth of the strike would vary in accordance with how hard the punch was struck. 

[DrLarry]

54 minutes ago, terrysoldpennies said:

I would have thought that in those days the letter repair punches would have been hand made , and therefore every one would be very slightly different , also when the working dies were repaired the depth of the strike would vary in accordance with how hard the punch was struck. 

Yes that may also help answer a question that I wondered about for many years in the 1860 pennies which show often a very fine lettering under re-punched,  almost as if a different punch was initially used,   (although the profile is often "curley" as well as more delicate). Perhaps this is a working practice issue again.  The hardened  steel for the new bronzes would have needed to be different to the method used for the copper  and strength applied perhaps to get the punch to go deep enough to get the impression on the bronze as opposed the copper.  Although we do have a diary note that he did have to recut and harden a new set of punches for the bronze and they kept failing.  

[Bruce]

Just received this penny yesterday.  Although I'm not a fan of slabbed coin n no idea why it's graded as AU, I'm still happy to secure this 1858 penny.

[Bruce]

[PWA 1967]

Well done ,i assume you know what variety it is and yes daft American grading 😀

Edited February 1, 2023 by PWA 1967

[Bruce]

1 hour ago, PWA 1967 said:

Well done ,i assume you know what variety it is and yes daft American grading 😀

Ha yes, american grading, everything is AU😂.  Large rose small date (hope correct), pity that there are dirt on it, however if it is not imperfect, i think it will be out of my reach.

Edited February 1, 2023 by Bruce

[secret santa]

Well done - I spotted that in a Spink auction recently.

[1949threepence]

2 hours ago, Bruce said:

Ha yes, american grading, everything is AU😂.  Large rose small date (hope correct), pity that there are dirt on it, however if it is not imperfect, i think it will be out of my reach.

Neat capture Bruce. 

[copper123]

I would grade it as EF , while there is little wear it is noticeable and the obverse has slight problems as well .

Was the graders name mutly (Always dreaming!)

[Peckris 2]

[Bruce]

10 hours ago, copper123 said:

I would grade it as EF , while there is little wear it is noticeable and the obverse has slight problems as well .

Was the graders name mutly (Always dreaming!)

Maybe bit more harsh, gVF to me, anyway, no where near AU.

[1949threepence]

10 hours ago, Bruce said:

Maybe bit more harsh, gVF to me, anyway, no where near AU.

I'd grade as EF/gVF. Despite the dirt patches, the obverse detail is EF.

Reverse about gVF.

[Michael-Roo]

53 minutes ago, 1949threepence said:

I'd grade as EF/gVF. Despite the dirt patches, the obverse detail is EF.

Reverse about gVF.

I agree.

[copper123]

14 hours ago, Bruce said:

Maybe bit more harsh, gVF to me, anyway, no where near AU.

There is an  massive gulf between gvf and AU  I wonder if these gradeing companies employ children and threaten them with a slipper if they dont do as they say

[blakeyboy]

1 hour ago, copper123 said:

There is an  massive gulf between gvf and AU  I wonder if these gradeing companies employ children and threaten them with a slipper if they dont do as they say

That's how I run my workshop.

My accountant has managed to arrange for me to get tax relief on the slippers!

[copper123]

3 hours ago, blakeyboy said:

That's how I run my workshop.

My accountant has managed to arrange for me to get tax relief on the slippers!

Yes Blakey I have a picture of you with your understudy

[Peckris 2]

8 hours ago, copper123 said:

There is an  massive gulf between gvf and AU  I wonder if these gradeing companies employ children and threaten them with a slipper if they dont do as they say

unfortunately, that is the American system for you - everything is "AU" right down to GVF

[1949threepence]

34 minutes ago, Peckris 2 said:

unfortunately, that is the American system for you - everything is "AU" right down to GVF

Their grading standards seem much looser than ours.

[Bruce]

4 minutes ago, 1949threepence said:

Their grading standards seem much looser than ours.

Undoubtedly yes, and they like everything in a small plastic box

[PWA 1967]

A really nice 1893 over 2 Gouby BP1893B ,often wrongly attributed 😀

 

[PWA 1967]

One i have just got back from NGC MS65BN  ,lovely tone for a scarce year in high grade.

 

[Peckris 2]

Lovely coin - certainly scarce in THAT condition.

[PWA 1967]

1826 Penny also just back from NGC MS65BN ,really nice in hand and again with a lovely tone.