Halfcrown list

[Peckris 2]

there are many uncatalogued examples of 'polished die' CuNi from the 50s - I can't remember offhand but I have one halfcrown (1955?) and a sixpence - as well as the 1961 crown and halfcrown.

[BottleCapDave]

1 hour ago, Peckris 2 said:

there are many uncatalogued examples of 'polished die' CuNi from the 50s - I can't remember offhand but I have one halfcrown (1955?) and a sixpence - as well as the 1961 crown and halfcrown.

I shall be snapping them up in the years to come then  I wonder if there is anyway I could get an official response from the mint as to the origin of these varieties and how they were dispersed. All the information I have seen has been conjecture.

[Peckris 2]

19 hours ago, BottleCapDave said:

I shall be snapping them up in the years to come then  I wonder if there is anyway I could get an official response from the mint as to the origin of these varieties and how they were dispersed. All the information I have seen has been conjecture.

Speculation:

The Mint were not satisfied with the satin finish on Unc CuNi and wanted to get back  to the glossy finish they got with silver coins. Why only a few 1950s coins should have been affected is anyone's guess. However, throughout the 70s you see Unc coins getting more and more mirrorlike, though it's not consistent by any means. But 10p and 5p pieces from the mid-70s do seem very glossy compared to early decimal 'silver'.

[Mr T]

On 5/29/2024 at 9:05 AM, BottleCapDave said:

I shall be snapping them up in the years to come then  I wonder if there is anyway I could get an official response from the mint as to the origin of these varieties and how they were dispersed. All the information I have seen has been conjecture.

In Australia at least there were experiments from the 1940s onwards I believe with chrome-plated dies which gave the coins a much brighter finish - maybe the Royal Mint were doing something similar?