1942-I "Long Denticles" Halfpenny At Strand Coins.

The thread title got me suckered in on this one!
Yes there IS a Strand Coins in Sydney, and yes, I have seen a '42I half penny in their stock, on the premises.

Actually, I DO remember doing some CRH with Australian pennies in 1965, the year before decimalization, and I found about 5 x '24I's with the long rim denticles. I was in my late 'teens at the time. They may have been all around EF. That was still well before the 'proof re strikes' were done; only a VERY small number of proof restrikes were done by the Bombay Mint.

Sorry I can't help with the value of the proof restrikes, I haven't been a serious collector of Australian coins for over 20 years. These days, I have far more U.S. coins in my collection than Australian ones.

In the 2014 Maccas Guide, a Chunc 1942I is $225, and I'm not even sure their coin is Chunc, which is what they state it is, so I sort of feel that there's one too many zeros in their asking price.

Other Maccas prices:
XF - $18
aunc- $45
unc- $110
gem - $425
Pf - $40,000.

Due to my lack of good and recent numismatic experience with Australian coins, I have to admit that I have never even set my eyes on any '42 proof restrike, so I am far from the best person to know what they look like.

I have a proof '59 florin proof (without the egg). This coin does not display anywhere the amount of die polish (if any) of the '42I halfpenny that is pictured here.
(With the '59 proof florin, the master die had a flaw which was only removed after the business strikes were finished. Hence, only the '59 proofs did not display the 'egg' flaw.)

I remember reading that the restrike dies used needed to be cleaned up a bit, to remove some very minor rust damage. I have no idea how true that statement may be. In terms of die finish, my '59 proof florin looks closer to the first '42I halfpenny pictured here.

If the original dies were reused AND were re finished, 100,000 grade diamond grit in an oil paste would have been used. This is the grade I use to achieve final polish on cut sapphires.(What is known as an 'adamantine' luster.) Softer metal surfaces do not achieve that same high sheen, and are quite logically referred to as having a 'metallic' luster.

Grading wise I think it would make MS60-61 possibly in the AU-55-58 range as those scars look to unsightly for an 62. Value wise I don't know but for average circulated examples it is around $50 and PCGS has only graded 2 of the variety while NGC has only graded 1 according to Eric at Drake Sterling
http://www.drakesterling.com.au/coi...cles-variety
The variety itself is rare and undoubtably when slabbed particularly in MS62 by PCGS and NGC would be quite a coin although the coin that is being offered by Strand Coins in that link is uncertified and therefore there is some uncertainty over it's condition as it is subjective and hasn't been graded by a impartial TPG.

Your coin looks great I can't spot signs of cleaning and looks consistent with a MS62 with a chance at MS63. I highly recommend getting it graded by PCGS.

This coin, link below, sold for $750 last June, and I have another coming onboard this month, also MS62BN. It's only my second in Mint State, and I know Mark Duff hasn't seen too many of them either in UNC. They are more available in lesser grades.
http://www.drakesterling.com/sold-c...-halfpenny-1

The restrikes were struck without authorisation by the Indians, and they ceased manufacturing the coins at the demand of the Australian Government. They were struck from old currency issue dies in the 1960s. That's why they were polished up. The coins are generally very brilliant and have lots of die polishing lines all over them.

Nevol, the McDonalds guide is pricing the common version, not the long denticle. Erics price is more realistic for MS62 long denticle.
It isn't rare, only scarce. To be worth 3 grand it would need to be far superior to Erics coin and it isn't.

Oh, OK. Thanks for pointing that out.