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 Replies: 9 / Views: 1,002 |
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Pillar of the Community
Portugal
717 Posts |
Hi. I have a few sovereigns in my collection, as they were used as legal tender here for some decades. How would you grade this one that must have come from an obverse die about to disintegrate? A crack before DEI. Another across the 1 in the date. Another in the C of VICTORIA. Another in the I of GRATIA. another across the face, it continues the one in the top. And a big break in the field in front of the neck.    Took a photograph with light from the side to better show these cracks. If it is not clear, that larger crack in the field left the coin with excess metal there. It must have filled into a crack or missing piece of die.The coin weights 8.01 g instead of the usual 7.99. I think it may have taken some metal that the die retained from the previous one it struck. Looking for die matches, one of my hobbies, I found another from the same die but without the larger break https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Great-Br...225793929579I am guessing mine must have been one of the last before complete failure of the die. That was the reason I took this one into the collection. I wondered if other people also find these coins interesting? Of if they shun them as defective? |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3209 Posts |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
78539 Posts |
Cool find!  Errers and Varietys.
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Moderator
 United States
195042 Posts |
Very nice! |
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Pillar of the Community
 Portugal
717 Posts |
Thanks. I like die cracks and have a few other coins as curiosities. But never knew there was a web site dedicated to these flaws. If the maintained of that site sees this, I ma happy to also let him use the photos I placed here. But I wanted to ask. Outside those who like die cracks as curiosities, do they detract from the coin? Or as mint damage they are neutral? |
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Valued Member
United Kingdom
405 Posts |
Such a broad-based hobby! There are those who prefer immaculate examples and will pay through the nose for them and there are those like me who like their coins to have had a life. IMHO the die crack is part of the coin's history so it's ok and shouldn't affect it's value. This is important for sovereigns cos they're so soft their circulating life expectancy was only about 10 years. Beware Middle Eastern contemporary forgeries though. Wondering if there's a non-invasive way of checking the carat-rating. I'm no expert with gold so I'll shut up now.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3778 Posts |
Very interesting die crack, jecz79.
Member of SPMC, FCCB, ANA and ANS. My U.S. Classic Commemorative Complete Set: https://www.NGCcoin.com/registry/co...sets/278741/ |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6429 Posts |
I like it and agree that the die cracks add to the overall appeal. The coin looks fully mint state on the reverse but there seems to be a trace of wear on the obverse portrait. If graded by US standards I'd call it AU-58.
Very nice!
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Pillar of the Community
Portugal
717 Posts |
Thanks. It has superficial wear aligned top to bottom in what must be the very highest points of the relief. Noticable in first photo from front of ear down the middle of the neck. A push on a table might have done it? I hope it still qualifies as mint state. But I am not good at judging sovereigns. No matter, what drew my attention was the odd crack in the field. I am happy to find I am not alone in thinking those details attractive  |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
36940 Posts |
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Replies: 9 / Views: 1,002 |
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Posted 10/28/2024 9:48 pm
