Posted 08/07/2008 4:43 pm
G'day, I think your penny is 1881.
the "mystery" coin is a farthing, =0.25 penny. And it seems to be Queen Victoria's effigy.
I'm no expert, but this is a different pattern to the other two. You see more of a legend on the reverse; and the exergue contains flowers, representing the components of the United Kingdom. The date would be on the obverse, below the Queen's neck.
Looked on ebay for some examples for comparison.
Item number 280252371045 looks a lot like your reverse, and that's 1831 (pre-Victorian).
Item number 190242801766 from 1853.
Item number 130245085087, from 1860, is similar pattern to your penny.
In 1860, the Brits switched from copper to bronze. I believe that the dimensions may have been reduced then. Perhaps other features of the design changed in that year also ?
So, my estimation is that your farthing is an early-QV, probably from the years 1838 to 1859.
A little history: the model for Britannia was the Duchess of Richmond.
Peter in Oz
the "mystery" coin is a farthing, =0.25 penny. And it seems to be Queen Victoria's effigy.
I'm no expert, but this is a different pattern to the other two. You see more of a legend on the reverse; and the exergue contains flowers, representing the components of the United Kingdom. The date would be on the obverse, below the Queen's neck.
Looked on ebay for some examples for comparison.
Item number 280252371045 looks a lot like your reverse, and that's 1831 (pre-Victorian).
Item number 190242801766 from 1853.
Item number 130245085087, from 1860, is similar pattern to your penny.
In 1860, the Brits switched from copper to bronze. I believe that the dimensions may have been reduced then. Perhaps other features of the design changed in that year also ?
So, my estimation is that your farthing is an early-QV, probably from the years 1838 to 1859.
A little history: the model for Britannia was the Duchess of Richmond.
Peter in Oz
