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I like black farthings

Even if they come from South Africa...

image
Former owner, Cambridge Gate collection.

Comments

  • From the coal mines??????
    Shep
    image
  • wybritwybrit Posts: 6,952 ✭✭✭
    Probably blackened to distinguish them from half sovereigns, like in Great Britain? I don't know about the reasons they did it there...
    Former owner, Cambridge Gate collection.
  • AuldFartteAuldFartte Posts: 4,597 ✭✭✭✭
    Man, that one looks pristine !!! image
    image

    My OmniCoin Collection
    My BankNoteBank Collection
    Tom, formerly in Albuquerque, NM.
  • image
    The glass is half full!
    image
  • AethelredAethelred Posts: 9,288 ✭✭✭
    Pretty darn cool!
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  • SapyxSapyx Posts: 1,972 ✭✭✭✭✭
    That's darned peculiar. I don't think they were issued like that - sovereigns were obsolete by 1938.

    Sure it's not a trial strike in zinc? imageimage
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  • wybritwybrit Posts: 6,952 ✭✭✭
    I think all of the dates were issued black up until late in the G VI reign.

    I have a 1923 proof, also dark.

    Are there any South African coin experts out there willing to explain why they were darkened?
    Former owner, Cambridge Gate collection.
  • The SA Mint continued the darkening of bronze coins until 1942, and for the same reason as Tom mentioned earlier.
    Terry

    eBay Store

    DPOTD Jan 2005, Meet the Darksiders
  • wybritwybrit Posts: 6,952 ✭✭✭
    Thanks Terry! image
    Former owner, Cambridge Gate collection.
  • You occiasionally see bright Edward VII farthings on the bay, I bought one before I was aware that they should be blackimage It is on records though, that the odd coin did miss the process but I doubt if you could tell if it was genuin or cleaned. You could imagine an ebay seller finding a EF+ black farthing and thinking that a good clean would improve it.image
  • Nice one Tom image

    I have a black one as well....
  • Nice One
  • I currently have about 20 of the blackened 1942 farthings - they are among my favorite coins! I really like them when they are so black they look almost blue!
    Cecil
    Total Copper Nutcase - African, British Ships, Channel Islands!!!
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  • Steve27Steve27 Posts: 13,266 ✭✭✭
    So if the mint did it, are they NT or AT?
    "It's far easier to fight for principles, than to live up to them." Adlai Stevenson
  • MacCrimmonMacCrimmon Posts: 7,050 ✭✭✭


    << <i>So if the mint did it, are they NT or AT? >>



    Then they are Mint-Toned (MT).image
  • SYRACUSIANSYRACUSIAN Posts: 6,445 ✭✭✭✭


    << <i>You occiasionally see bright Edward VII farthings on the bay, I bought one before I was aware that they should be blackimage It is on records though, that the odd coin did miss the process but I doubt if you could tell if it was genuin or cleaned. You could imagine an ebay seller finding a EF+ black farthing and thinking that a good clean would improve it.image >>




    True bright farthings of that period (Edward VII and Victoria veiled head) that escaped the blackening process exist, they're very rare but their cost is not prohibitive. Many are listed in Colin Cooke's upcoming sale, if you do a search, you'll find spinaker's thread on that very interesting and unique sale. Colin Cooke was a British coin dealer and was considered the expert on farthings, his private collection that is going to be sold is one of a kind and many coins in it have not seen the light of day for the past 20 years at least. This brilliant man unfortunately passed away about a year ago,before I had a chance to meet him in person in one of my visits to England.

    I own two black BU farthings in my British type set, a 1902 from Cooke and this 1901,which indeed looks more blue than black:

    image
    Dimitri



    myEbay



    DPOTD 3
  • AuldFartteAuldFartte Posts: 4,597 ✭✭✭✭
    oooohhhh ... that 1901 is just ... well ... imageimageimage
    image

    My OmniCoin Collection
    My BankNoteBank Collection
    Tom, formerly in Albuquerque, NM.
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