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 Replies: 7 / Views: 4,743 |
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New Member
United States
3 Posts |
You could probably guess that I am totally new to coin collecting but I am so excited. I bought a bag of coins from around the world at a yard sale about 10 years ago and just found them in a box in the garage. Most are from Europe but some are from other areas. They are on average ranging in the 1940's and 1950's eras. I have just started going through them and seeing what I could find online. My favorite so far is a 1907 Swiss 5 cent piece (called a rappen I think). They are probably not worth much but I am having fun. Anyways, my problem is this. I have found a coin that I can tell is a George V penny from Great Britain. It is about an inch in diameter and can be read easily. The problem is that the back is totally flat. I mean, there are no bumps, marks, indents or anything that would indicate that it had been struck. I cannot find any information on this online. Was wondering if any of you veterans had some advice. I will post pics of it on here asap. Thanks.  |
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Moderator
 Australia
16832 Posts |
Three possibilities occur to me.
It could be a mint error, with one side 'muffled' somehow - say by something getting in between the die and the coin. Very odd for a "real mint error" to produce one side looking normal and one side perfectly flat, but without seeing a pic it's still a remote possibility, I guess.
It could be a "lamination flaw" - where a coin effectively splits clean in half, due to a gas bubble or some such defect within the metal. Such a coin would look normal on one side, but should look "raw" with a laminar "grain" pattern on the other; it shouldn't form a perfectly flat surface. It's kind of a mint error, but because it's relatively easy to "create" a split planchet artificially, it may not be worth very much.
Third, and most likely possibility, is that it's simply been sanded down by someone. Prisoners, soldiers and anyone else with idle hands and lots of spare time commonly defaced coins like this to make a souvenir for themselves or their loved ones; the blank side would then be engraved with their initials or some such.
Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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Pillar of the Community
United States
830 Posts |
Most likely Sap's third option as it was being readied to make into a "love token" or something similar.
If it's only about an inch in diameter, it's probably a half penny.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
1106 Posts |
At 1" it would be closer to a British half penny in size. Is George V wearing a crown or is he bare headed. Commonwealth countries such as Canada and Australia also use the reigning monarchs effigy on the obverse of their coinage, but used a crowned king on it's coins. How worn is the obverse? I have some British George V penny and half penny coins that have been worn smooth from natural wear. Any chance of a photo?
Edited by chrycopaul
06/21/2007 2:23 pm
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
1152 Posts |
quote:
It is about an inch in diameter
Yes, as was stated, it would be a halfpenny. How thick is it? If it seems unnaturally thin, it has been defaced. |
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New Member
 United States
3 Posts |
OK, mystery solved. It is a British Penny however it has been defaced. I took it to a coin shop in town and they said it looked like a jeweler had shaved off the back as the ridge was missing. Oh well, it was fun searching it out. Thanks for everyone's input. I'm sure I will have more questions as I still have a ton of coins to go through.
Thanks again!
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Valued Member
Netherlands
376 Posts |
The Swiss 5 rappen with the virgin Helvetica was first issued with the 10 rappen in the year 1879, and is still produced today, and therefore the worlds' longest circulating design. The Swiss wouldn't want to sell their heritage and their banking secrets to have the euro. I am very glad they did not.
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Valued Member
United Kingdom
103 Posts |
I have found coins similar to this whilst metal detecting. They are silver & they have been worn down on both sides & the coin warped. I have been told this was done on purpose & that they are called 'love tokens'. How correct this is I don't know.
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Replies: 7 / Views: 4,743 |
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Posted 06/21/2007 07:18 am
