Searching through "scrap" pennies

Hussulo

A friend from work saved a couple of big bags of bronze pennies from going to the scrap. I think there are over 30 kg's worth, most dates from bun head Victoria up. Just been looking through them for him and have been through a couple of handful's. Without looking for micro-varieties I have set aside a 1912 H and a 1918 KN.

This should be fun.

Hussulo

So far I am perhaps a quarter of the way through.

I have found:
5 x 1912 H
1 x 1918 H
1 x 1919 H
2 x 1918 KN
2 X 1919 KN

7Jaguars

Go Huss, thanks for keeping an update....What about 1926ME or 22 Rev. 27?

Can we have a "denominator" - out of how many coins searched?

Thanks!!!!

ormandh

Maybe, I need to go through my large hoard of Pennies!

Hussulo

Go Huss, thanks for keeping an update....What about 1926ME or 22 Rev. 27? Can we have a "denominator" - out of how many coins searched? Thanks!!!!

I haven't even started looking for them yet. Basically all I am doing is having a quick look at the dates and for any die number or mint marks and stacking them into the relevant rulers.

I plan on looking through them in more detail soon.

I have also found a 1881 H which may be the rare obverse type but will need to take a picture of it and look at it closely. It is quite worn so I can't count the berries or leaves but Vicky's nose does look less hooked then the normal type, which is an indicator.

SaorAlba

My best find was a 1950 lurking in a bag of pennies. I have the KN pennies, but they are usually well worn.

Hussulo

Found another 1919 H

To be fair most of these are worn. Coins range from poor-vf.

The exiting thing about it is I don't think they have really been searched through for numismatic value before, so there is every chance I might find one or two rare varieties or types.

Hussulo

I'll try and take a picture with them all stacked up once finished.

They are mostly British but I have found 5x unc 1923 1/12 Anna's. 3 are RB's and 2 are RD's. They have a dot below date, Bombay mint? haven't looked it up yet.

Hussulo

Quick tally up before I go to bed.

So far I have found:

8 x 1912 H
1 x 1918 H
4x 1919 H
4 x 1918 KN
3 X 1919 KN

I would say about 3/4's of a bag down and 1/4 plus another bag to look through.

SaorAlba

Do you suspect they were circulation pulls from back in the 1960's that have been together ever since? When I was actively hoarding the pennies I could find them in huge lots sometimes - like 5000 coins. I know they still pop up in British auctions, but occasionally in N. America also. There must have been some emotional attachment to those coins as there seem to be so many of them around - like a bronze version of a Churchill Crown.

Hussulo

Could be pulled from circulation or a few peoples hoards sold to one antiques dealer destined for scrap.

I've got about 1/5 left to check but the total so far stands at:
15 x 1912 H
4 x 1918 H
5 x 1919 H
7 x 1918 KN
5 X 1919 KN

Hussulo

A picture of most of the coins

canadanz

<< <i>A picture of most of the coins

>>



Very cool. Wish I could go through something like that.

SaorAlba

Notice a few farthings in there - why are those so stinky to find in quantity?

Hussulo

Good question I'm not sure. Perhaps most people preferred to hang onto Pennies and half pennies. There are quite a few 1967 half pennies in Unc, the shiny ones in the picture. Being the last date of the type a lot of them seem to have been hoarded away.
In fact Chris Perkins gave them away with his books one year. I wonder if he might be interested in them.

SaorAlba

I have tonnes of halfpennies too. But I can never find farthings in quantity. I know they did not mint as many of them as halfpennies and pennies, but they must not have been a real fixture in circulation even before they were eliminated after 1956. In fact I might have more halfcrowns than farthings.

BillyKingsley

You're very lucky to be able to go through them. I love the British coinage from that time, I wish I had that many! I've only about about 10 different large pennys, 2 half and 2 farthings.