1840 Sixpence - is there a small head variety?

[Paddy]

I picked up an 1840 Sixpence at auction yesterday as a potential upgrade. When I came to compare it to the existing incumbent it appears the new one has a much smaller head. No mention is made in Spink - is this a known variety, or is something else going on here? New one is on the left:

 

[Paddy]

... and the reverses for completeness:

 

[Rob]

I think it is an illusion. Taking a straight line from the bases of various letters to the same points on the bust, the only (marginal) difference appears to be at the top of the head. It may be that the die field on the left has been polished to a greater extent than the one on the right. This would agree with there only being a vestige of the hair curl below the bun on the LH coin compared to the right. Alternatively, you could postulate that the left hand bust is sunk to a lesser degree on the die than the one on the right.

[Paddy]

Thanks Rob. I looked hard at that before I posted, but I am still not sure. The gap between the top of the head and the letters is appreciably bigger, and the top of the bun comes a lot lower in relation to the Ns in Britannia. It is really noticeable in hand - I am not usually good at noticing variations but this one jumped out at me as soon as I compared them.

 

[Rob]

The top of the bun looks to be thinner on the new one - which again suggests polishing.

[Unwilling Numismatist]

@Paddy have you started on that home made Vodka?

[Paddy]

Buckets of it here! Hic!