1937 George VI Silver Threepence Error?

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Author	Replies: 8 / Views: 2,475
Spacegirl Valued Member United States 57 Posts	Posted 06/07/2020 4:51 pm Hello All! I'm fairly new to CCF and really have no one area of coins I am interested in. I just like to look at everything and see what I see. Last week I was at a friend's house (she is originally from Wales) and I told her of my "coin collecting" interest. She pulled out a tupperware container with about 40 or so coins - almost all British - and told me to "have a look"! This was fun as I lived in England when I was a kid and again as a teenager, so it was fun to look back through the old coinage that was still in use (for the most part) in the 1960's-70's. The ones she was most excited about were her silver three pence coins. She has about 7 or eight of them, and I frankly don't remember them in use when I was there. I just remember the old nickle-brass ones. Anyway - I brought them home and looked through them. There are some fun ones there that I may post later to learn more about, but I happened upon this one! It VERY CLEARLY is not a nick or a scratch on the rim of this coin. It appears to be the top of the letter "D" or perhaps the bottom of the letter "G". It clearly has a serif and if you can see in the pictures, there appears to be another slight impression of another letter to the right of this anomaly. Additionally, the the coin looks as if it might have been impressed with either faint reeding or other partial letter shapes along parts of the edge. It's very hard to shoot because it's such a tiny coin to begin with - but I can try for better if anyone has any real ideas. Thanks so much! Report this Post to the Staff

NumisRob Bedrock of the Community United Kingdom 18010 Posts	Posted 06/07/2020 6:32 pm Hi Spacegirl and You wouldn't remember the silver threepence coins in circulation as they were superseded by the chunky 12-sided nickel-brass ones in the 1940s. That's an interesting coin and hasn't seen much circulation. What concerns me is that the 'D' on the rim should be raised rather than incuse if somehow it had been struck between the dies at the mint. My theories would be: 1. Post-Mint Damage ( PMD) that just happens to look like part of a letter D and other letters. 2. Vise Job - someone deliberately squeezed this coin against another in a vise. 3. Maybe your threepence was right at the bottom of a bag of new coins being delivered from the Mint - the sheer weight of the other coins could have resulted in another coin pushing down on yours and transferring part of the legend onto the rim of your coin. I'm sure others will have some ideas! It's worth noting that silver threepences are often found with rim damage. I imagine they occasionally got used as screwdrivers or to get the lids off tins... My Trade List: https://goccf.com/t/194596 My Wants List: https://goccf.com/t/191710 Edited by NumisRob 06/07/2020 6:35 pm Report this Post to the Staff
Spacegirl Valued Member United States 57 Posts	Posted 06/07/2020 7:28 pm Thanks Rob~ I know people do all kinds of odd things with coins - and as for using them to open lids - I myself am guilty. A couple of US Quarters will open a gallon of paint in a jiff! But as for the impression, the only thing I could think of was a filled letter of a previous strike that "fell out" and was impressed on the rim of this cin. Although I have no way to prove it, I honestly do not believe this was a vise job - it's just got the appearance of a mint thing. Anyway - I appreciate your thoughts and I look forward to hearing more - and to posting more at CCF! I have learned a lot and it is so much fun! Report this Post to the Staff
chipjones Pillar of the Community United States 819 Posts	Posted 06/07/2020 10:21 pm It may have used on a charm bracelet. And those marks are from how it was attached. That would also explain lack of circulation. Report this Post to the Staff
molydeii Pillar of the Community Turkey 870 Posts	Posted 06/12/2020 3:33 pm I tend to agree with Rob here, the scratches along the 9 o'clock side of the coin and the marks alongside the rim suggests me that the coin may have been used on something, opening a lid, removing something from somewhere, etc. As silver 3p coins are very thin, I remember seeing all kinds of damage on circulated ones. A 3p minted in 1937 probably hasn't sene much circulationi due to they being replaced by brass 12-sided 3p's at the same year. I think they probably disappeared from circulating during early WW2. I vaugely remember reading somewhere that someone said he got very surprised finding a silver 3p in circulation in early 1960's from a shop in a remote Scottish island. I do not think many were circulating past WW2, but this is just an assumption. In 2018, I found a 1919 silver 3p inside a ladies bag's inner lining wh#351;ch a friend of mine bought from a thrift shop in Nottingham, England. (Bag clearly was way more younger than the coin itself) Nevertheless, I think George VI silver 3p's have a beautiful, almost ornament-like design. I like those a lot. Report this Post to the Staff
Anaximander Pillar of the Community United Kingdom 709 Posts	Posted 06/12/2020 7:22 pm One possible explanation for the silver 3d in a too-modern bag could be a result of an old North English custom. A few years after decimalisation my dad gave me a new wallet. I was surprised to find a predecimal small value silver coin in it. I think it was a 6d but cannot be sure now. The explanation was that by tradition such a gift had to contain some money when given, and as a bonus because I could never spend it I would always have money in my wallet. Report this Post to the Staff
Hogarth Pillar of the Community United Kingdom 735 Posts	Posted 06/13/2020 05:17 am I'm in North West England. I remember my Mother would do this too. Anytime she'd give a purse or wallet as a gift a coin would be placed inside before it was wrapped. Edited by Hogarth 06/13/2020 4:05 pm Report this Post to the Staff
molydeii Pillar of the Community Turkey 870 Posts	Posted 06/13/2020 11:22 am Out of topic, but when I hear those above, I am fasciniated to realise how people from old times are classy. Nowadays with the 21st century, almost no one gives proper atention to details. A custom involving coins from my part of the world (although this is very local, restricted to a small communirty) is we bury coins to tresholds of other people's houses when we are first invited for a stay over at their place. I know no other people that does that and often regarded weird when we do that to unknowing people. It's a way of saying thank you for hospitality and may that bring good fortune and wealth to their family home. I remember back some years ago some Swedish friends were so surprised when I was burying coins on their garden next to their door. :) Report this Post to the Staff
molydeii Pillar of the Community Turkey 870 Posts	Posted 06/13/2020 11:24 am Oh and meanwhile I still have that 1919 3p in a 2x2 in my album. Nice not to get that coin loose. Report this Post to the Staff
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