Unique, Unrecorded 1863 Penny Sold For A Record £17,500

Unique, unrecorded 1863 Penny sold for a record £17,500
In a sale totaling £176,000, lot 190, a unique and unrecorded 1863 English Penny with a die number 5 below the date, was sold in Tennants Auctioneers specialist Coin Sale in Leyburn, North Yorkshire on Wednesday, 21st May 2008 for a record £17,500 plus buyers premium. It was sold to a private collector from Scotland.

In the early 1860's the Mint introduced numbering dies on a number of coins, although the purpose of this remains unclear. Die numbers 2, 3 and 4 have already been recorded by Michael Freeman in ‘The Bronze Coinage of Britain' and Michael Gouby in ‘The British Bronze Penny', however a penny with a number 5 die number has so far not been recorded.

This coin had been inspected by Royal Mint authorities including the Chief Engraver, who shared the view that the figure beneath the date was indeed a 5, thus making this find numismatically important.

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