Queen Victoria - One Shilling - 1852 Error?

Thank you for your reply, Archraz. It's a bit disapointing to know it doesn't add much value to the coin, but hey ho. Is the 1852 shilling rare? I haven't been able to find information on it anywhere. Do you know how much they sell for?

Here are the pics you requested:

All I can say is... what makes you think it's an error?


Because all I know about coins is I like to spend them!

No, joking aside, I am a complete novice with a huge interest.

My grandfather left me hundreds of coins and notes when he died and this is the first time I've, pardon the pun, tried to make head or tail of them. But, I have an awful lot of learning to do, it seems.

Any tips on where a newbie should start?

Hi Relaxicab & everyone else. This is my first posting on this site, and this question seemed a good place to start! NumismattyUK explained about the medal alignment after 1887, and I'm sure this date should be coin alignment. It all depends on the direction of the spin. The Victorian shillings between 1839 and 1863 were all coin alignment rather than medal, so if you spin it north to south (top bottom) it should show both sides the right way up. If it's like numismattyUK explained, then I guess it's unique/rare.
As for beginning to understand the values of what you have, I recommend you get a good book such as the most current "Coins of England & the United Kingdom" published by Spink. This is one of the bibles of UK coinage, costs about £25, and the 2009 edition should be hitting bookshelves in the next few days. As long as you have a lot of UK coins to sort through, I think you need to treat yourself to an early Xmas present!