Wanted -1953 farthing dies 2+A

[copper123]

I think either peck or farthing specialist found the variety you would have to look back and find some early info - john's early catalogs might give it , my best bet would be that the variety was discovered in 1970

[Peter]

Close 1915 TT was discovered in 1980 and (Coin Monthly)RIP i got mine from Ebay as well as my 2A .

I was close on a 1874 g'S over but did get E over R 1856 and large date 1875 for peanuts.I do put my hours in(from Midland).My small date came from a token dealer.

I gave my E over R to my youngest who clocked the error .....good girl....she will become a nummmmmmisttwat.....as Mrs Peter calls me.

[Peckris]

I really am sure there are quite a few of these coins to be found right now if you are in the know.

I bet many a in the know farthing collector has picked one of these out of a rumage box for say 50p or so , i am sure if all the existing coins were gone through a lot would come on the market and the price would come down.

I am also sure this will not happen overnight so it will be a gradual process with the coin becoming slightly more common every year.

Only if the number of collectors increases rapidly will the coins rise in value.

Colin is at least trying to do that for us i surpose.

I would guess most around are in gvf + grade due to the short time they circulated.

Most that were minted are still in existance now i would think , well prob 60% anyway

When was it recognised as a vairety. If it was sometime after demonetisation, the plastic set would have been saved but little else. As collectors we obviously come across bucket loads of farthings but compared to the mintages it's really a piddling amount.

I'd say it was recognised quite late I think (no earlier than Freeman). However, see my reply above re. surviving quantities - yes, I think a lot would have been melted but the numbers that didn't probably far exceeds the number of collectors (many times over, I'd guess?). From that, I'd have to say that - unlike KN pennies and 1949 threepences etc - the varieties weren't siphoned off, and therefore the ratio of 2+A's to the common varieties is roughly equivalent to what they would have been when first issued.

[Colin G.]

The other thing is that it is quite conceivable that there could be a roll or two or a bag out there of 2A's just waiting to be found which could also change market value quite a bit

[RLC35]

The other thing is that it is quite conceivable that there could be a roll or two or a bag out there of 2A's just waiting to be found which could also change market value quite a bit

You are right Colin. When the US Mint released bags of silver dollars (1964) they had held in vaults since 1900, it had a big effect on the price of some scarce dollars. The 1903-O dollar had a price of $300, at the time, if you could even see the date (G). After the release of dollars, the price for a uncirculated 1903-O was $24.00. The coin has since recovered to $625 in MS-64. A uncirculated 1903-O was $1500 in 1963.

Edited August 6, 2014 by RLC35

[Peckris]

The other thing is that it is quite conceivable that there could be a roll or two or a bag out there of 2A's just waiting to be found which could also change market value quite a bit

Although it didn't have a noticeable effect on the market, I do remember at W&W in the 90s when a lot came up that featured an 'accumulation' of UNC 1950s coins that had obviously been put aside at the time. Among it there were quite a lot of 1958 sixpences and 1958E shillings, and half a tray of 1957 halfpennies ... all 'calm sea' variety!

[copper123]

I doubt that there are bags of 1953 farthings 2+a out there , but what there could be is a bags where 10% or more of the coins are 2+A , that is more likely

[Peckris]

I doubt that there are bags of 1953 farthings 2+a out there , but what there could be is a bags where 10% or more of the coins are 2+A , that is more likely

Agreed. Certainly 1953 farthings are very common. I bought more than a dozen UNC 1+A specimens for a quid the lot at the Midland about 15 years ago.

[copper123]

You would prob get an easy £2 each on ebay if they are totally perfect - a better investment than the building society certainly

[Varietalis]

I really am sure there are quite a few of these coins to be found right now if you are in the know.

I bet many a in the know farthing collector has picked one of these out of a rumage box for say 50p or so , i am sure if all the existing coins were gone through a lot would come on the market and the price would come down.

I am also sure this will not happen overnight so it will be a gradual process with the coin becoming slightly more common every year.

Only if the number of collectors increases rapidly will the coins rise in value.

Colin is at least trying to do that for us i surpose.

I would guess most around are in gvf + grade due to the short time they circulated.

Most that were minted are still in existance now i would think , well prob 60% anyway

You make an excellent point. Certainly the demonetisation of the farthing in the early '60s has meant that those 1953 2+A examples that have been collected are VF or better due to their curtailed circulation. I've found that condition issues such as verdigris, scratches, cleaning etc. has meant that finding a problem free example remains a challenge. However, what really makes this a difficult gap to fill is a chronic lack of availability to the market (whether you are 'in the know' or not) and this must ultimately be a reflection of the fact that only a very limited number were ever minted. It is reasonable to guess that they may well have been minted from a single pair of dies.

As has already been noted in the thread, only the 1+A and, occasionally, the 1+B come from the plastic sets. It is worth adding that the 2+A has the obverse 2 of the circulation coins not the obverse 1 of the plastic set coins. Therefore, the 2+A were among the coins issues to the banks for circulation.

[Colin G.]

With the 1953 farthing being a low value coin generally, it is reasonable to assume that many people will just not have taken the time to try and sift these varieties out. They are definitely becoming more widely known, but I would guess that a thorough search of a decent number of 1953 circulation farthings may prove fruitful. Not all Obverse 1 farthings are from specimen sets, there are also currency examples, it is just the fact that some 1B's can be found in specimen sets.

[DAS]

hello,

I have a spare 2 + A 1953 farthing , I bought it as GEF but I don't think it is a good as that . Happy for it to go to a fellow farthing collector

DAS

[Chris Perkins]

I can personally vouch for DAS, he's a good man, if that helps!

[Colin G.]

And if no collectors want it, you can always drop me an e-mail

[Coinery]

OK, PM sent (for personal collection)!