Edward VI Base Shillings

[Rob]

Has anyone got anything definitive on how to identify busts 3, 4 & 5 other than the article in the BNJ (1985) by J Bispham and the pictures in Spink?

The waters are somewhat muddied by bust 5 in Spink being the same coin pictured in the BNJ as bust 4, but the description for differentiating between busts 3 & 4 given by Bispham is quote "Although bust 3 has been engraved more upright, it is similar to bust 4." That sentence sort of fits the description when applied to both the pictures in Spink and the BNJ although Spink is the better fit.

The bust 3 picture in the BNJ resembles bust 4 in Spink. The fact that Spink references the busts to Bispham's article suggests this should be the correct definition.

The Spink picture of bust 3 is the same as that showing t over G in the article which implies it is correct as this overstrike was only found with bust 3, but bust 3 in the BNJ doesn't resemble the t over G bust.

It looks to me like the BNJ article pictures are wrong but there is no correction slip in the 1985 BNJ. Was there a subsequent correction in later years? Any clues anyone?