It looks like a farthing, half penny, or penny. But what is it? The inscriptions are missing! Thanks.
All three Penny, Half Penny and Farthing had the same reverse in 1893 Size will determine which it is. These are approx circulated sizes Farthing 22mm, Half Penny 27mm, Penny 37mm
The owner of the coin (I am not the owner) says it is identical in size to a 'normal' 1893 half penny. I don't have the weight. Perhaps this one is from one of the colonies, but I can't figure which one. Perhaps a pattern, but I don't see one in Krause.
Not one of the colonies nor a pattern, its strange how only the words "HALF PENNY" are missing with no sign of wear. My personal opinion is its a doctored photograph or coin. The reverse should look like this one..
The photograph is NOT doctored. It was bought at a coin dealer's foreign coin bin. Having the "HALF" and "PENNY" words missing, is why I am trying to figure out if this is an error coin and what it might be worth. I know Great Britain has a number of different varieties of their coinage around this time, but I do not see anything the WORLD COIN catalogue from 1990 - by Chester Krause. I do have another 1893 half penny, that everything seems to match to (except for the missing words).
i found this picture, don't remember what year the penny on the right is (1912?), but a good size comparison.
My measurements lastnight were approximate from looking at the real thing . Since checking my books the Halfpenny should be Diameter: 25.00 mm Weight: 5.80 grams. It is possible the wording might have worn off, I have several Pennies, Halfpennies and Farthings in my scrap copper box with no letters. Or it could have been doctored and the wording ground off and then placed in sulphur . I will post some of mine later and try and doctor a coin with a dremel.
I appreciate your help. It just seems odd, that where the wording is missing, that I do not see any obvious cuts or abrasion. It does appear (at least to me) to match the surrounding areas.
it looks like it was deliberately doctored, as the date is quite prominent and the obverse lettering looks ok,
Its a penny, you can see a light Y at the end. And the trident head looks worn down too so I don't know if the coin or photo has really been doctored.
rather than a dremmel, it was most probably done with engine valve grinding paste which would account for the lack of scuff marks.......
What about the disfigurations in the border at 8 and 9 o'clock on the reverse? Tooling? You could send it to an authentication service.
It doesn't look doctored to me. There were a lot of people making imitation half pennies earlier in the 1800's, but I would think they would have quit by 1893. There were so many places in the British Empire around 1893 that I would imagine somebody striking copper half pennies somewhere in the world with Britannia not on there to stay out of trouble.
