Possible 1854/3 penny with crisp hair

[jelida]

I bought this penny for £80 at the Midland Coin Fair last Sunday, and think that it is an 1854/3 but the top of the 3 to the top left of the 4 is less obvious - though there is something there - and the hair is much crisper than that usually found. The curve to the the top right of the 4 is obvious, as is the possible lower tip of the 3 to the lower left of the 4. The colon after Britanniar tilts to the right as usual. So is this an earlier stage of the 'normal' 4/3 obverse die,  or a second 4/3 die with crisp hair? The slanted colon on the reverse would be a remarkable co-incidence if the latter. Richard, you have one of these I think. 

Thoughts please!

Jerry

[jelida]

[jelida]

[jelida]

[1949threepence]

Not 100% sure. As you say there is definitely a bump to the right of the top of the 4. But the rest is slightly unclear.

I do actually have an EF version of the 1854/3, which I bought from LCA in Dec 22. There is even a trace of lustre. The classic features of a 4/3 are present with protruberances both sides of the top of the 4, and a thin line extending from the end of the left base serif to the left crossbar of the 4.

There is more hair detail than is usual for a 4/3 on mine, but nothing like as good as the one you show above Jerry. It's example 13 on Richard's rare penny list - ex Steven Clegg

Can't rule out yours being a 4/3, but I'm not sufficiently qualified to give a definitive yea or nay.

Cope & Rayner have the 1854/3 as being of very high rarity in the upper grades.     

[PWA 1967]

I think it is one , good buy.I had one I sold Dave craddock a few years ago that had plenty hair and at the time did not think much of it and didn’t take a picture.

Edited March 15, 2023 by PWA 1967

[secret santa]

If they were using up old 1853 dies, it's reasonable to assume that there was more than die that got altered, and the state of the queen's hair could differ between the dies. The above coin and one that I have certainly appear to be 4 over 3 types, with stronger hair.

I have now added Jerry's coin and my own coin to the rare penny site together with an updated description of the variety to include these "stronger hair" types.

Edited March 17, 2023 by secret santa
addition

[alfnail]

I'm sure Jerry's is a 4/3, and also think it's probably from the same die pairing as my own example.............even though the hair is not as good on my coin.

I think I can see that on the obverse there are legend similarities for example the numeral are all identically positioned in relation to teeth, and there is a small protrusion above the I of DEI:-

Whilst on the reverse there are similar protrusions on the 2ns N of BRITANNIAR and the G of REG.

The following pictures refer:-

 

[alfnail]

Full pictures of my own coin for reference:-

 

[secret santa]

Yes, my own spare version has all these features:

[secret santa]

[alfnail]

Forgot to mention all 4 sets of Colons also same positions

[alfnail]

That's a very nice one for a spare Richard!! 😁