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 Replies: 8 / Views: 2,205 |
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Valued Member
Australia
432 Posts |
OK, no pics yet as I havent been able to scan the coin and have the image show that well, BUT I seem to have a 1964 Half-Penny that has a reversed 'Ghost' shape of Queen Elizabeth visable in the field around the 'roo.
I guess what I want to know is; is this a KNOWN variety AND, any way to confirm this? I guess I should borrow a better digital camera and see what I can some up with.
Additionally, any further information on the commonality of this sort of thing with Half-Pennies would be cool... :)
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5318 Posts |
I have a few Pennies and Halfpennies with ghosting on the reverse. Someone here has told me this is due to metal flow during striking of the coin, and is not actually from a die clash. Of course, I haven't seen your coin to give my opinion.
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
839 Posts |
I didn't know it is a KNOWN variety?
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Valued Member
Australia
372 Posts |
Sounds like ghosting, as Kurt suggested.
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Valued Member
 Australia
432 Posts |
Yes, I suspect youre correct, regarding the 'ghosting'... Having a good look at it today, it is probably caused when the coin cools after the strike, at different rates, due to the different thicknesses of the metal. ALSO have been noticing the effect on a few 1964 Pennies (2 of a series of 4 I have with some of the most AMAZING Copper Patina I have seen! lots of shinny blue's and red's and orange's... Must try and do Photo's of them!)
Thanks guys... I was a bit excited when I stumbled across the original coin. It seems my enthusiasm was somewhat premature! :)
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
839 Posts |
Like cleaned the pennies?
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Valued Member
Australia
206 Posts |
I think for this type of phenomena you can take your pick. I've seen it described as Mirror Image, Struck through, and ghosting. I think the later is most commonly used, and seems to be a result of increased press pressure in an effort to get a decent strike from wearing dies. Out of interest zaggy, is the impression incused or raised?
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Valued Member
Australia
432 Posts |
Farnby; sorry I took so long to get back to you... Enforced period of 'staying the hell away from coins' until I got my last INFT2040 assignment done :)
OK, the impression of the head-profile in the 'roo-side field is very definately 'incuse'... As with the other two examples of this I have found on Pennies and Half-Pennies... My theory is starting to lean towards HEAT; though I need to do some research into how copper and brasses cool. I'm thinking, the Pennies and Half-Pennies are rather thin really... The most significant 'lump' (to use the technical term) is the Queen's Profile. So I'm thinking, when the coins are annealed, then struck, perhaps the difference in rates of cooling of the thinner metal around the queen's head and that of the thicker metal, produces the effect we see?
I can't see it being an issue with the die's, nor flan's... So I'm thinking its the process...
Dan
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
2830 Posts |
G'day,
not sure if heat has much to do with it: I'm pretty sure that the planchets go into the mill cold.
The 1964 pennies had bizarre reddish-orange colouration when new, and it varied over one coin, and from coin to coin. I never heard an explanation for it.
I have 1964 pennies that I took from circulation in 1964, and they seem unchanged.
Remember: 1964 was the last penny; and we knew it. Quite a lot were diverted as souvenirs. The rest ceased to circulate on 14 Feb 1966. It should be easy to find high-grade 1964 pennies.
Peter
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Replies: 8 / Views: 2,205 |
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Posted 05/18/2008 9:28 pm
