Whopper Copper! (if you like die breaks; BIG pics)
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We all know my obsess... err, "passion" for 19th century British copper. Rather than working on a date set of any series (other than fractional farthings), I just like to pick up nice examples when I see them without breaking the bank. Most of the examples I have are BN, since I like dark toned copper, but occasionally I'll pick up an RB or RD if I can find them.
I have several slabbed examples of the 1854 halfpenny. It's the most common date in the series, and they're readily available without spending gobs of money. Slabbed MS examples can usually be had in the $60-120 range.
I stumbled across this auction.
Here are the original auction pictures. To quote Dom DeLouise in History of the World Part I: Nice... not thrilling... but nice. All the other examples I had were BN and this one was RB. Knowing firsthand how stingy NGC is with its RB designation, I assumed the coin would be brighter than the auction pictures implied. Looked like it had potential, so I sniped it.
When I first received the coin, at first casual glance I said to my self "Wow, this thing is beat up..." but upon closer examination they weren't nicks, bagmarks, or scratches, but boatloads of diebreaks all over both the obverse and reverse! Some people like diebreaks and some people hate them. Put me in the former camp. I think they make coins interesting and give them character.
I really like this coin in hand. In addition to all the diebreaks there seem to be some planchet flaws as well (or perhaps caused by material adhered to deteriorated die when minted?)
First, small pics of coin (sorry for the glare and the scratches/smudges on the slab):
Now, much bigger pics where you can see the die breaks more clearly.
Obverse:
1. Across top of T and O of VICTORIA to rim
2. Across top of R, I, and A of VICTORIA
3. Down from thrim though A to Victoria's forehead
4. To the left of D from rim to top of Victoria's head, continuing down though Victoria's hair
5. From rim between DEI and GRATIA down into bun on Victoria
6. Running along base of GRA
7. From hair at temple running diagonally lower left to Victoria's eye
8. From lower rear of bust running down through 8 in date to rim
Reverse:
1. The most incredible long die break I've ever seen: From the left of the base of Britannia, running along base of BRITANNIAR, leaving just below the N, continuing through the field, through Britannia's head, all the way to the trident.
2. Vertically from rim through R of REG to Britannia's head
3. From rim to top of F in FID and back to rim
4. Across base of DEF
5. From the right of the base of Britannia to rim
6. From the center of the base of Britannia down through thistle to rim
I have several slabbed examples of the 1854 halfpenny. It's the most common date in the series, and they're readily available without spending gobs of money. Slabbed MS examples can usually be had in the $60-120 range.
I stumbled across this auction.
Here are the original auction pictures. To quote Dom DeLouise in History of the World Part I: Nice... not thrilling... but nice. All the other examples I had were BN and this one was RB. Knowing firsthand how stingy NGC is with its RB designation, I assumed the coin would be brighter than the auction pictures implied. Looked like it had potential, so I sniped it.
When I first received the coin, at first casual glance I said to my self "Wow, this thing is beat up..." but upon closer examination they weren't nicks, bagmarks, or scratches, but boatloads of diebreaks all over both the obverse and reverse! Some people like diebreaks and some people hate them. Put me in the former camp. I think they make coins interesting and give them character.
I really like this coin in hand. In addition to all the diebreaks there seem to be some planchet flaws as well (or perhaps caused by material adhered to deteriorated die when minted?)
First, small pics of coin (sorry for the glare and the scratches/smudges on the slab):
Now, much bigger pics where you can see the die breaks more clearly.
Obverse:
1. Across top of T and O of VICTORIA to rim
2. Across top of R, I, and A of VICTORIA
3. Down from thrim though A to Victoria's forehead
4. To the left of D from rim to top of Victoria's head, continuing down though Victoria's hair
5. From rim between DEI and GRATIA down into bun on Victoria
6. Running along base of GRA
7. From hair at temple running diagonally lower left to Victoria's eye
8. From lower rear of bust running down through 8 in date to rim
Reverse:
1. The most incredible long die break I've ever seen: From the left of the base of Britannia, running along base of BRITANNIAR, leaving just below the N, continuing through the field, through Britannia's head, all the way to the trident.
2. Vertically from rim through R of REG to Britannia's head
3. From rim to top of F in FID and back to rim
4. Across base of DEF
5. From the right of the base of Britannia to rim
6. From the center of the base of Britannia down through thistle to rim
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Comments
The large cracks on the reverse are really cool!