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Replies: 5,067 / Views: 378,145 |
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Pillar of the Community
4628 Posts |
Paralyse, love those coins and the 1825 Halfcrown, I have one too. If you would like to know your farthings would grade VF+ - gVF in the British scale, which would be EF40 - 45 American I think. This latest coin is a perplexer  It purpots to be an undated (Due to poor strike/wear) William III halfcrown, with an Edinburgh mintmark. But I am suspicious and feel this is a fake or a forgery (I could be wrong, once I get it and silver test it) due to the rim damage. If its real, its a great score as the small Irish harp and first bust means this has to be a 1696 Edinburgh strike (I already have a 1696 Royal Mint) and if so, a rare little coin. If its silver plated crud, I suspect its a William Chaloner fake as it was known he made fake Edinburgh halfcrowns in 1697 and 1698 - if it is thats better. Either way a great score I lifted off a fairly dodgy dealer. I paid NZ$78 (About £40) for a coin worth a lot more, my other 1696 cost $145 in comparison. Condition is not so great VG reverse and Good+ Obverse (William is little more than a silhouette). Love to hear any opinions on this coin.
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
945 Posts |
Isn't the E for Exeter - not Edinburgh? If so this purports to be S3484 - 1696 Halfcrown, large shields, first harp. I would still have doubts on authenticity - the bust looks too "meaty" to me, but that just might be the effect of the wear and the camera angle.
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
698 Posts |
I also think it could be a jeckyl. the shield at the bottom is far larger than the others and the thickness of the crown rim is way off the scale. Even allowing for wear unless the camera is telling fibs again :)
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Pillar of the Community
4628 Posts |
It has a heavy shadow at bottom. Its midwinter in NZ and the seller was based in Christchurch. The sun rises to only 22 degrees above the horizon this time of the year.
Photo is taken from bottom with camera elevating upwards. Starting to think, this is real and just a poor strike and very worn.
Sorry I always get Exeter mixed up with Edinburgh, even though one is Devon and the other in Scotland.
Edited by Princetane 06/23/2020 8:28 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3348 Posts |
Edward VI half sovereign. 6.1 grams my scale. CNG with old dealer envelope.  
"Two minutes ago I would have sold my chances for a tired dime." Fred Astaire
Edited by thq 06/24/2020 12:06 pm
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12057 Posts |
Hammered gold is beautiful! Here's a 1700 groat that was engraved on the reverse. Love token or souvenir of some kind, perhaps. 
Member ANA - EAC - TNA - SSDC - CCT #890 "Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done." -- Louis D. Brandeis
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Pillar of the Community
4628 Posts |
I bought 2 collections of Farthings and Halfpennies yesterday and got them for a nice price in Whitman folders. I know the seller and he spent heaps of time trying to accumulate them. The farthings cost $120 and Halpennies $50. Farthings are very nice and complete 1860 - 1956 except 2 dates 1876H and 1880. The condition of most of these coins is blinding.  Won't show it all - but this is 1860 - 1872  I mean look at these   1862 Virtually uncirculated. Will show a few more, but warn me if its overkill.
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Pillar of the Community
4628 Posts |
1870s  1880s to 1901  1910s  Every coin is at least Fine, most are VF and many are EF - UNC after 1930. Look at this 1928  If you want to see more, I will post here.
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Pillar of the Community
4628 Posts |
The Wrens are all bascially AU - UNC and lustre forever    Look at the detail, a very nice 56, which was not a common year, its mintage of under 2 million was less than most 1860s coins. I know its just farthings, but these are just beauties. Some of these coins must be $40 each, so $120 for them all.  Some of the earlies have been cleaned, but most have natural lustre, all the 1942 ones onwards are lustre. Hope you like.
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Pillar of the Community
4628 Posts |
Halfpennies not as nice, but most are VG - Fine for earlies, and all are at least Fair to Good.  Includes several 1861 varieties  Close up of 1860s coins, bear in mind all are over 148 years old and were commonly used coins!  Very worn 1864, but a clear date and 4 is noticeable. 1870s are better 
Edited by Princetane 06/28/2020 12:30 am
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Pillar of the Community
4628 Posts |
Final page. One huge highlight in the Halfpennies - this AU 1891  Rest of the Victorias, many coins are Fine or VF now  Eddies, Georges etc are all F - VF getting to AU by Lizzie  This is the 1910s and 1920s GV coins - generally better than most GV early halfpennies which as we saw in the back in time thread, most are really worn before 1925, here I am missing 1911 - but most of these coins are F or VF. That concludes my buy in for a bit - next post from me will likely be another Halfcrown!  I am still buzzing from this score, as I bought them with a 1935 NZ 3d.
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
945 Posts |
Very nice pick up! I too would be buzzing with that lot.
Getting decent halfpennies from the 19th century is always difficult. The theory is that they were the "workhorse" coin in change and so took a lot more wear. Also, they seemed to be deemed less collectable from an early stage, so far fewer were put aside.
Probably the most scarce, and therefore valuable, coin you have there is the 1863 farthing. Despite the middle of the scarcity range mintage figures, they seem much scarcer than that, and command good money online. I would be interested to see close ups of that one.
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Pillar of the Community
4628 Posts |
Okay, best photos I can do while its dark here   It's definitely in the high VF to low EF levels I would say - so I guess around $100 or so. Not sure if its natural lustre or cleaned with lemon juice as many coins in the set are despite being in high grade. The 1862s and 1860s are definitely not cleaned.
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
945 Posts |
Yes, that is a very nice example. I think the obverse is the standard type 3 with the full colon after F:D: - the other variant has the upper dot partially obscured by the bust. The reverse looks as if it might be "fat 8 over thin 8" with the more angular 3 making it type Bc. Not that these minor variations make much difference to the value, which is still good, but may be of interest to the specialist farthing collector. Yours is probably slightly better than mine - care to swap? 
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Pillar of the Community
4628 Posts |
It's tempting - but I would hate to break up the family, 1863 is very popular amongst the farthings and next to Beadicea the 1860 farthing leads the pack.
Just stoked to get such a beautiful collection, always been fond of the farthing - such a cute and overlooked coin (Well like you said the Halfpenny is and this was the coin that bought a pie or a paper and a stamp or a postcard around 1900).
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Replies: 5,067 / Views: 378,145 |