Reverse cracks on World War II Threepences?

[Flash]

Has anyone ever looked into this. I'm referring to the noticable flaky cracks that occasionally appear on the reverse. Would these be considered to be die flaws caused by the low quality steel used in the dies due to the wartime shortage and the make do and mend philosophy or are they perhaps an indication of lower quality nickel brass?

Any theories?

[Peckris]

Has anyone ever looked into this. I'm referring to the noticable flaky cracks that occasionally appear on the reverse. Would these be considered to be die flaws caused by the low quality steel used in the dies due to the wartime shortage and the make do and mend philosophy or are they perhaps an indication of lower quality nickel brass?

Any theories?

It depends : if these are raised cracks, then yes they are die flaws. But if they are surface cracks, then it is most likely the inferior metal used for the blanks in wartime (for similar reasons the tin? zinc? content was reduced for pennies and ahlfpennies giving a different appearance when they wear).

[davidrj]

the inferior metal used for the blanks in wartime (for similar reasons the tin? zinc? content was reduced for pennies and ahlfpennies giving a different appearance when they wear).

Ditto the wartime 1918KN penny, probably the poorest quality striking of all the 20th C bronze coins, almost impossible to find better than fine, dye cracks and flaws ++, and weird colour ?low tin

[Flash]

There might be a paper in this "World War effects on UK Coinage" It would mean rummaging through my voluminous scrap bins as all my cracked threepences have gone in there so on reflection I can't be bothered :-(

[davidrj]

There might be a paper in this "World War effects on UK Coinage" It would mean rummaging through my voluminous scrap bins as all my cracked threepences have gone in there so on reflection I can't be bothered :-(

At least we were spared the Iron or zinc coinage suffered by much of Europe

[1949threepence]

the inferior metal used for the blanks in wartime (for similar reasons the tin? zinc? content was reduced for pennies and ahlfpennies giving a different appearance when they wear).

Ditto the wartime 1918KN penny, probably the poorest quality striking of all the 20th C bronze coins, almost impossible to find better than fine, dye cracks and flaws ++, and weird colour ?low tin

I've never seen one in better than Fine. Never seen a 1926ME in better than VF.

I'd like to think unc examples exist somewhere.

[davidrj]

the inferior metal used for the blanks in wartime (for similar reasons the tin? zinc? content was reduced for pennies and ahlfpennies giving a different appearance when they wear).

Ditto the wartime 1918KN penny, probably the poorest quality striking of all the 20th C bronze coins, almost impossible to find better than fine, dye cracks and flaws ++, and weird colour ?low tin

I've never seen one in better than Fine. Never seen a 1926ME in better than VF.

I'd like to think unc examples exist somewhere.

I have about 50 1918KN pennies, Two I would grade about fine with almost complete shield details, these two have a slightly higher rim than normal which has probably protected the design. Only seen better in photos. I only ever found one ME in circulation - good fine, which is still my only example

[Peckris]

Ditto the wartime 1918KN penny, probably the poorest quality striking of all the 20th C bronze coins, almost impossible to find better than fine, dye cracks and flaws ++, and weird colour ?low tin

Actually, the 1919KN has the same red colour too - I think Kings Norton used a slightly different metal alloy which made the blanks turn out that colour. And you will see the same colour on some RM pennies from 1912 to 1919... coincidentally the period when Kings Norton supplied blanks to the Royal Mint.

The Heaton pennies also have some appalling quality strikings too. My 1919H is EF for circulation (this is obvious from the reverse, and from the obverse legend), but the portrait has hair detail that would barely qualify as Fine. I think it was maybe because the Heaton and Kings Norton mints used dies way beyond the point at which the Royal Mint would have jettisoned them; or maybe the RM supplied x number of dies and said "we need y number of pennies from these".

[scott]

yea i have a 1913 that looks to be the same colour as my 1912H's,

i have a 1918 RM in EF with a die crack or 2