1893/2 penny

[Bronze & Copper Collector]

Specimen number 3

[Bronze & Copper Collector]

Specimen number 3

[Bronze & Copper Collector]

Specimen number 4

[Bronze & Copper Collector]

Specimen number 4

Edited January 5, 2014 by Bronze & Copper Collector

[Bronze & Copper Collector]

These are the better ones...

Somewhere I have a few that are really poor...

However, I do not believe that they are exceptionally rare........

[DaveG38]

This may be a silly question, but are we absolutely certain that these are actually the result of an overdate and not simply the result of slight die damage that the mint simply ran with for a while? Are there records from RM that document this particular re-cut?

[Peckris]

Ok, here's another theory. The Mint was originally going to change to the OH bronze design in 1893 along with other metals, but it was too big a job so they deferred it for 2 years. However, before they abandoned the idea completely, they decided to fulfil the need for 1893 pennies (like 1895 YH farthings, they would be the last of the design) by reusing 1892 bun dies.

Then, during 1892-3, they decided all bronze would be pushed to 1895, so suddenly there was a need for 1893 bun head dies, which got produced for the remaining 1893 penny requirement.

According to that theory, the 1893/2 dies were used FIRST, but how many were issued is unknown. Quite a lot would be my guess, and not detected before because they are so hard to see.

[Rob]

This may be a silly question, but are we absolutely certain that these are actually the result of an overdate and not simply the result of slight die damage that the mint simply ran with for a while? Are there records from RM that document this particular re-cut?

Yes. On the one that I had you could see the filled curve at the top of the two and a trace of the filled bottom bar

[DaveG38]

Ok, here's another theory. The Mint was originally going to change to the OH bronze design in 1893 along with other metals, but it was too big a job so they deferred it for 2 years. However, before they abandoned the idea completely, they decided to fulfil the need for 1893 pennies (like 1895 YH farthings, they would be the last of the design) by reusing 1892 bun dies.

Then, during 1892-3, they decided all bronze would be pushed to 1895, so suddenly there was a need for 1893 bun head dies, which got produced for the remaining 1893 penny requirement.

According to that theory, the 1893/2 dies were used FIRST, but how many were issued is unknown. Quite a lot would be my guess, and not detected before because they are so hard to see.

So mine, which is in around EF condition, but only shows a small bulge on the middle bar of the '3' plus metal at the bottom of the top curve was probably a late strike where wear was slowly degrading the details of the overdate?

[Peckris]

Ok, here's another theory. The Mint was originally going to change to the OH bronze design in 1893 along with other metals, but it was too big a job so they deferred it for 2 years. However, before they abandoned the idea completely, they decided to fulfil the need for 1893 pennies (like 1895 YH farthings, they would be the last of the design) by reusing 1892 bun dies.

Then, during 1892-3, they decided all bronze would be pushed to 1895, so suddenly there was a need for 1893 bun head dies, which got produced for the remaining 1893 penny requirement.

According to that theory, the 1893/2 dies were used FIRST, but how many were issued is unknown. Quite a lot would be my guess, and not detected before because they are so hard to see.

So mine, which is in around EF condition, but only shows a small bulge on the middle bar of the '3' plus metal at the bottom of the top curve was probably a late strike where wear was slowly degrading the details of the overdate?

I doubt the overdate was ever clear, which is why the variety remained 'hidden' for so long. I shouldn't think even an early strike would show any more detail.