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 Replies: 11 / Views: 5,023 |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
2217 Posts |
Just got this near-UNC lovely Half-Penny of 1806 - looks quite dirty and I'm afraid to clean it for obvious reasons. There is a scratch on the reverse coming down from the T and going through Britannia's head and trident but apart from that it has some original lustre and looks a little better in hand as this wasn't my best photography. (Actually I'm wondering if that's a scratch or a die crack...) **I think it's the latter What do you think, anyone like it?    Edited by NumisMattyUk
06/08/2008 05:36 am
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Valued Member
Ireland
215 Posts |
A really lovely looking coin Matty, I would almost certainly say the scratch is a Die Flaw, as it seems to be also along the top of R-I-T then extends downward through the head and the trident, but none the less a realy lovely coin.
Jim
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Pillar of the Community
 United Kingdom
2217 Posts |
Jim, the die flaw that goes all the way through the trident actually seems to come from the rim before the 'T'
The flaw you noticed is different - also, what do you think about the other 'scratches' on this coin - which ones are flaws and which actually scratches?
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
2830 Posts |
G'day, beautiful coin.
Is that another crack from the elbow to 4 o'clock ?
The obverse is remarkably uncirculated. I wonder if the "scratches" on the reverse field were on the die, rather than post-mint damage ?
Peter
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5318 Posts |
That's sure a nice one! I'd also agree--that's a crack from the T through Britannia and all the way to the base of the A. Peter, I'd agree too--that's a start of another crack at 4:00. There's another through RIT, and perhaps one below the extended arm?  It also looks like the 8 in the date punch may be broken--a common place for these punches to break in US or UK coins of this period. I particularly like the strike of this coin, and an interesting detail on the reverse--notice how one tine of the trident looks sharply bent? I haven't seen that on other 1806 Half pennies so far. Edited by KurtS
06/08/2008 2:18 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3499 Posts |
Beautiful coin! Yeah, don't clean it for any reason.
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
2217 Posts |
I don't ever plan on cleaning it - this is my best coin so far :)
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
2830 Posts |
G'day,
quote: "notice how one tine of the trident looks sharply bent? I haven't seen that on other 1806 Half pennies so far."
- nor have I, but I have noticed it on fishing spears: aim at fish; hit rock. Then you learn why everybody says "don't hold it too tight".
I have now decided that this halfpenny is even more beautiful than the first time I looked at it.
quote: "and perhaps one below the extended arm?"
- yes, I see it now; vertical, then heads south-west.
Should have said this earlier: great photography.
Peter in Oz
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
2217 Posts |
Thanks, and you have intrigued me a little as I never noticed the 'bentness' of that upper tine.
My photography was slightly off when I made it ;) - it's slightly blurred at the bottom, but
still the lighting was sufficient.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5318 Posts |
Your photograph is good enough to capture those interesting details  Flat-field shots of coins are pretty tough without a specialized macro lens. Then there's the matter of getting lens and coin stage perpendicular--it's a challenge for me! Edited by KurtS
06/10/2008 12:26 am
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
2830 Posts |
G'day,
quote: "Then there's the matter of getting lens and coin stage perpendicular--it's a challenge for me!"
- I put my coin on a table near a window: where I live, there is plenty of light throughout the day, at least from May to October.
I have a little tripod which screws into my digital camera. The head of the tripod rotates through 90 deg., which gets the camera pointing down vertically. I have to adjust the legs, which are telescopic, so the camera doesn't tip over, and so the coin is nearly centred, and at the maximum of my optical zoom.
I check from the side, to see tham everything is plumb.
When I finish with one coin, I just have to remove it, and put the next in its place, and I'm ready to go.
This onlly takes about a minute to set up.
The tripod cost $9.95, and folds up small enough to fit in my camera case: a very neat unit.
Peter
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5318 Posts |
Thanks Peter for the tip! I do all right with my camera/tripod, although my macro lens has a very narrow depth of field, requiring careful alignment to the coin. Someday I'll devise a foolproof solution, but until then...it's all by eye.  Edited by KurtS
06/10/2008 02:35 am
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Replies: 11 / Views: 5,023 |
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Posted 06/08/2008 11:03 am
