unlisted varieties!

[chris]

i have been collecting coins for many a year now and have always wondered why some coins are listed as a variety and some not.

i have an 1883 sixpence with a normal reverse which can be seen in the first photo, the second photo is the unlisted variety where they used the old die pattern

[Peckris]

i have been collecting coins for many a year now and have always wondered why some coins are listed as a variety and some not.

i have an 1883 sixpence with a normal reverse which can be seen in the first photo, the second photo is the unlisted variety where they used the old die pattern

What are we looking at, here? Care to talk us through the main points?

[TomGoodheart]

As far as I know, varieties generally are sought after because someone has published an article or book pointing out the difference between the variety and the 'normal' coin.

Which isn't to say that other varieties don't exist. Just that they are, as you say, unlisted. You could write a note to Spink and ask them to consider publishing it in the Numismatic Circular pointing out the difference between the alignment in the teeth of the two coins you've pictured (or whatever the difference is, if that wasn't it!) And if they agreed, all of a sudden, you'd have a 'published variety.'

Of course, all varieties were originally un-noted until someone like one of us brought people's attention to them. It's when others say 'Oh yes! There is a difference' that I guess it becomes recognised.

And of course, some series have been much studied such as when Peck wrote his tome on “English Copper, Tin and Bronze Coins in the British Museum 1558 – 1958â€, it opened the floodgates to people looking for varieties he'd spotted and new ones to share. Apart from North, I'm not sure how much has been written about English silver and sixpences in particular. Maybe you should write something. And one day maybe like Peck, Sharp and others, you'll have a numbering system for varieties named after you!

[chris]

As far as I know, varieties generally are sought after because someone has published an article or book pointing out the difference between the variety and the 'normal' coin.

Which isn't to say that other varieties don't exist. Just that they are, as you say, unlisted. You could write a note to Spink and ask them to consider publishing it in the Numismatic Circular pointing out the difference between the alignment in the teeth of the two coins you've pictured (or whatever the difference is, if that wasn't it!) And if they agreed, all of a sudden, you'd have a 'published variety.'

Of course, all varieties were originally un-noted until someone like one of us brought people's attention to them. It's when others say 'Oh yes! There is a difference' that I guess it becomes recognised.

And of course, some series have been much studied such as when Peck wrote his tome on “English Copper, Tin and Bronze Coins in the British Museum 1558 – 1958â€, it opened the floodgates to people looking for varieties he'd spotted and new ones to share. Apart from North, I'm not sure how much has been written about English silver and sixpences in particular. Maybe you should write something. And one day maybe like Peck, Sharp and others, you'll have a numbering system for varieties named after you!

thank you Mr Goodheart for the reply. the main difference between the two coins is the "I" in sixpence. the normal coin is reverse F with the "I" to the right. the unlisted coin pictured to the right id a reverse D, "I" to the left.