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 Replies: 13 / Views: 3,736 |
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Moderator
 United States
23731 Posts |
Greeting all, I'm looking for a reference number to this coin, I can't seem to find it listed in Krause. George III 1797 27.2 grams 30mm Is this a Penny or two pence? Thanks, Ron  |
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Valued Member
United Kingdom
103 Posts |
Never seen either the two pence or the penny that shape before. Normally circular in shape. I've checked 'Spink 20007' out & can't see that shape in there either. I would suggest the raised rim had been purposely worn down on the sides but then it's the same width all the way around...? Interesting! I'm curious to know more about it myself now. Where did you acquire it?
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Moderator
 United States
23731 Posts |
This came in a large group of world coin I purchased not too long ago. I'm wondering if someone took a cartwheel penny and turned it into an eight sided coin. If that's the case it was done long ago.
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Valued Member
United Kingdom
103 Posts |
Because of their size these coins became popular as market weights. Maybe that has something to do with the shaping of the coin?
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Moderator
Australia
16809 Posts |
At 27.2 grams, it's 0.95 ounces - so it's the remains of a 1 ounce penny that's had a bit shaved off.
I'm not sure why anyone back then would have done that... probably not to use as a weight. Surely anyone looking at it would've known it was an ounce that had been "tampered with"...
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
Canada
965 Posts |
I also agree that it looks like a peeny, but it looks like it's had more than 1.1g shaved off of it. Especially if it lost 6mm off of it's diameter. However, I can safely say that it isn't a twopence, as that is listed at 56.7g and 41mm in diameter.
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Valued Member
United States
346 Posts |
Yes It's a two pence cartwheel. The guy probably got psssd because it was so heavy to carry around, Image:  1797twopence.jpg62.19 KB Image: 1797twopencerev.jpg66.38 KB so he was drunk one night and whittled it away :) Here is mine. |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
2217 Posts |
The first thing that strikes me is: why is it an octagon?  Umm okay so it's been filed down a bit.. The Cartwheel two and one penny pieces made by Matthew Boulton at his Soho (Birmingham) workshop were round... Weirdest thing of all is even the rim is an internal 'octagonal cartwheel'... very odd indeed.. Edited by NumisMattyUk
10/04/2007 08:44 am
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Moderator
United States
23731 Posts |
NumisMattyUK, thanks for pointing that out I never noticed that the inside rim was also an octagon. Even if the outside rim was filed down it would be next to impossible to do the inside without destroying the coin. So that would mean that this coin started out with eight sides?
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
2217 Posts |
Hope you're not asking me LOL  I was just trying to figure out how it could be done whilst wondering why nobody had explained it to me.. |
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Moderator
United States
23731 Posts |
Just thinking out loud  , hoping some one might have the answer. |
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Valued Member
United Kingdom
103 Posts |
Maybe it is a prototype...or from a dud run?
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Moderator
United States
23731 Posts |
If it was a prototype I don't think it would have as much wear as it does. This coin looks well circulated.
Ron
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Pillar of the Community
United States
819 Posts |
Maybe it's a token? Someone copied the circulating copper coinage, but made it so that it could be told apart from the actual British mintage?
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Replies: 13 / Views: 3,736 |
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Posted 07/13/2007 7:14 pm
1797twopence.jpg
1797twopencerev.jpg
