Why Are...

[tracyaw]

...some British Victorian Pennies Jet Black and shiny? I have tried looking it up on the internet but cannot find anything. Any knowledge on this appreciated. Thanks

[Gary]

To be honest I have never come across a Victorian penny that is jet black and shiny. Some Farthings were blackened before leaving the Mint to avoid confusion with gold coins but to the best of my knowledge this process was not applied to Pennies.

Do you have a pic?

Some Dates do tend to tone darker than others the Old head series do darken considerably but not jet black. I think this has something to do with the alloy that the coins are made put off and the ratio of tin and zinc that was mixed with the copper to produce Bronze.

[Accumulator]

Likewise, I'm not quite sure what you mean. Very worn examples (almost flat washers) are commonly found and these can appear blackened with grease and dirt. Also being flat, they could perhaps be described as shiny. I think we need a picture.

[davidrj]

Scan doesn't really show how black this ugly 1863 is - i only keep it 'cos I got in change as a kid which started me penny collecting

probably spent many years under the floorboards, before having a brief circulation in the mid 1960s

Edited November 20, 2013 by davidrj

[Peckris]

Scan doesn't really show how black this ugly 1863 is - i only keep it 'cos I got in change as a kid which started me penny collecting

probably spent many years under the floorboards, before having a brief circulation in the mid 1960s

You were dead lucky - the only bun pennies I saw as a kid were flat washers! Though when I started on 5/- bank bags, I did find the odd date in VG - usually in the range 1890 - 92 more's the pity.

[tracyaw]

Thanks for the replies. This was the first Victoria Penny I ever got and I have seen darker and shinier than this on ebay, and the camera seems to have watered it down a bit, and shown up dirt. Maybe the colour is what is called verdigris, or something like that, I have hear mentioned.

[tracyaw]

The reverse:

[Peter]

Looks like it has been buried in non corrosive soil.

[tracyaw]

Whatever has caused it does not come off. I tried a small area with some Olive oi and a cotton bud.

[Peter]

If you did find a method of cleaning without damaging the coin you will become a millionaire.

[tracyaw]

Yep, true. However as it is only a 1891, I didn't mind experimenting on it. just to see if the black stuff would come off. I would not clean a nice coin.

[Garrett]

It's a nice coin in a way.

I had a half-penny a lot like that when I was a kid, and it was one of my most treasured possessions !

Edited November 22, 2013 by Garrett