Guernsey 8 Doubles

[davidrj]

I've just bought a copy of Spink's "Coinage of Scotland Ireland and the Islands" (2003) and was intrigued by the entries for the 8 Doubles of Guernsey - (probably the most boring of all the world's 30mm bronnze coins)

1864 (5 obv, 2 rev dies)

1864 3 stalks 184,736

1868 (5 obv dies) 54,720

1874 (4 ov, 2 rev dies) 73,248

1885 H 69,696

1889 H 215,620

1893 H (large or small lettering) 117,600

That seems a lot of different dies for such tiny mintages!

Checking Remick's "Coins of the British Commonwealth" , he refers to Pridmore's "Coins of the British Commonwealth of Nations Part 1 European Territories" (1960) for details of the dies

Does anyone here have access to a copy of this reference please? or any other source for die descriptions?

[Colin G.]

I've just bought a copy of Spink's "Coinage of Scotland Ireland and the Islands" (2003) and was intrigued by the entries for the 8 Doubles of Guernsey - (probably the most boring of all the world's 30mm bronnze coins)

1864 (5 obv, 2 rev dies)

1864 3 stalks 184,736

1868 (5 obv dies) 54,720

1874 (4 ov, 2 rev dies) 73,248

1885 H 69,696

1889 H 215,620

1893 H (large or small lettering) 117,600

That seems a lot of different dies for such tiny mintages!

Checking Remick's "Coins of the British Commonwealth" , he refers to Pridmore's "Coins of the British Commonwealth of Nations Part 1 European Territories" (1960) for details of the dies

Does anyone here have access to a copy of this reference please? or any other source for die descriptions?

Can't help with your question, but I would be interested in similar for the 1 & 2 double coins if anyone does have the information.

[Rob]

Guernsey Coinage by W. Exley, printed in 1968 by The Guernsey Press. It describes all the dies up to 1966 and also includes the sequencing established for the 1864 8 doubles dies. Included in the blurb is a note that quote, "Marshall-Fraser and Pridmore separate the obverse dies fairly successfully, but practically ignore variations in the reverse." It would suggest on the basis of the above note that this is a better reference. Who knows?

Another reference is Currencies of the Anglo-Norman Isles, by A L T McCammon (1984) ISBN 0907605133

[davidrj]

Guernsey Coinage by W. Exley, printed in 1968 by The Guernsey Press. It describes all the dies up to 1966 and also includes the sequencing established for the 1864 8 doubles dies. Included in the blurb is a note that quote, "Marshall-Fraser and Pridmore separate the obverse dies fairly successfully, but practically ignore variations in the reverse." It would suggest on the basis of the above note that this is a better reference. Who knows?

Thanks Rob, just ordered a copy from Galata for £8 (a lot cheaper than £50+ for Pridmore )

[Rob]

Guernsey Coinage by W. Exley, printed in 1968 by The Guernsey Press. It describes all the dies up to 1966 and also includes the sequencing established for the 1864 8 doubles dies. Included in the blurb is a note that quote, "Marshall-Fraser and Pridmore separate the obverse dies fairly successfully, but practically ignore variations in the reverse." It would suggest on the basis of the above note that this is a better reference. Who knows?

Thanks Rob, just ordered a copy from Galata for £8 (a lot cheaper than £50+ for Pridmore )

My copy has 5p on the cover, which came as part of a larger parcel of books. It's a super little reference volume, even if only 40 pages of less than A5 size.

[davidrj]

Thanks Rob, just ordered a copy from Galata for £8 (a lot cheaper than £50+ for Pridmore )

My copy has 5p on the cover, which came as part of a larger parcel of books. It's a super little reference volume, even if only 40 pages of less than A5 size.

My copy came today and is also priced at 5p

Useful info on the dies and, more importantly, the die pairings known - possible a cheapish project to track some of them down

Interesting to note these bronze coins were not minted by the Royal Mint, but contracted out :-

1864 Henry Jay & Co

1868 & 1874 Partridge & Co

Never heard of these two before . The Royal mint used Watt & Co and Heatons for 1860-3 UK bronze (also without mintmark), Watt & Co also used for Hong Kong bronze cents

It would appear no mintmarks appear before 1874 on any UK or Colonial Bronze coinage - I wonder if any other stuff was farmed out in these years prior to the major refurbishment of the RM in 1882?

[Colin G.]

Thanks Rob, just ordered a copy from Galata for £8 (a lot cheaper than £50+ for Pridmore )

My copy has 5p on the cover, which came as part of a larger parcel of books. It's a super little reference volume, even if only 40 pages of less than A5 size.

My copy came today and is also priced at 5p

Useful info on the dies and, more importantly, the die pairings known - possible a cheapish project to track some of them down

Interesting to note these bronze coins were not minted by the Royal Mint, but contracted out :-

1864 Henry Jay & Co

1868 & 1874 Partridge & Co

Never heard of these two before . The Royal mint used Watt & Co and Heatons for 1860-3 UK bronze (also without mintmark), Watt & Co also used for Hong Kong bronze cents

It would appear no mintmarks appear before 1874 on any UK or Colonial Bronze coinage - I wonder if any other stuff was farmed out in these years prior to the major refurbishment of the RM in 1882?

That's another book I have got to track down now!!

[davidrj]

It would appear no mintmarks appear before 1874 on any UK or Colonial Bronze coinage - I wonder if any other stuff was farmed out in these years prior to the major refurbishment of the RM in 1882?

Correction Canada & Straits have issues for 1872 with the H (heaton) mm