1858 Large Cent Double 5

The expert that wrote the book on the 58's is a member here....If he does not respond by Sunday, I will email him for you. :-)

Thanks Dick..

On the close ups of the 5.. What works for me is taking the picture through the microscope lens and then on the computer re size the whole image a bit (Example if it is 14.0 wide I increase it to 18.50) and then on software program I have (which is Ulead Photo Express ) I use the trim menu which was the square to trim to the appropriate size which results in a good clear close-up.

One lesson I have learnt on this Ulead Photo Express program (It is good for what I want to do) Not too expensive at $35.00 for an online download..BUT MAKE SURE YOU GET THE DISC SENT AS A BACK UP. What happened to me after 5 years my program just did not want to connect and work properly. I figured there my be a time frame built in the program which shuts it down. I simply Uninsulated it, Put in the disc, loaded it up again and WhaLaa Has worked perfectly since...

I will let Rob Turner, the 1858 expert give the definitive answer (and author of 3 great Victoria Large Cent reference books)but there were 21 reverse dies (23 if you count specimens) in Group RC .. all of which had the 5's repunched or reworked in some way. 5's like yours were present on more than a single working die and I'd estimate around 15-20% have somewhat similar 5's. But actual percentages are broken down much finer, in keeping with other markers on the coin. The book, "The 1858 Cents of Provincial Canada" is well worth the money for anyone who collects any of the early Victorian denominations or needs the background/history behind our own coinage.

Quite a few 1858 reverse dies had re-punched 5's, so they are common. Having said that, your coin is very, very scarce.

The coin pictured is from a die marriage that I catalogued as obverse die OE1 and reverse die RC28 (as evidenced by a distinctively re-engraved stem to Leaf #9, and die cracks to Leafs #12 and #14). This obverse die shows up on about 3% of all 1858 cents and was married to four different reverse dies. Coins minted by all four of these reverse dies are scarce with RC28 being the scarcest of the four.

In my original study I used a random statisical sample of 150 cents dated 1858 to establish the relative rarities of the various dies. Die RC28 did not show up in that sample. I later found one coin with the RC28 reverse. It is the only one I have ever seen. Now, yours is the second.

Congratulations on finding a very, very scarce die marriage of the 1858 cent.

I just liked this coin as it has a very pronounced double 5....

I had no idea of what you just pointed out or how scarce this 1858 is...

Thanks Rob..You just made my day...No you just made my year..

Beer is on me... This OK....

Hello D,
have exactly the identical twin to yours, including die break..on mine the 858 is doubled, noted and certified EF45.
in addition to that , mine appears to have a die or a planchet crack right from the top on the 8 up to about 1 a clock. it is ever so slight, but it is there. have always wondered about that.
If you guys want, I can post images... just did not want to compete with D.

HHB.....Please post pictures as I would like to see it....never is a competition....Always a learning adventure..

StJoeBlues..Wish I was there cracking one with you...

Same obverse and reverse dies, so that makes three. Since the die was in service for some amount of time, there have to be some of these out there, but they are scarce. Nice coin.