Does anyone know of any photographs that could help to distinguish between a an original 1797 carthwheel twopence and one of the many restrikes which were struck in 1848 from the original dies? All I've been able to find out is so far is a vague reference to the fact that die corrosion is a means of distinguishing them, but were does this corrosion manifest itself, or preferably is there a photo somewhere that could provide an illustration for what it looks like on one of the restrikes?
A coin struck with a corroded die will have little pimples/bumps on it. They're often referred to as struck with a rusty die. And it could be anywhere in the coin. Now I'm not terribly familiar with the coins, but if you have a bumpy one, then odds are it's a restrike.
Peck Do you have access to "English Copper, Tin and Bronze Coins in the British Museum" by C. Wilson Peck? It has a section on proof, currency and restrike twopences of 1797 with both descriptions and plated images (Plate 20). If you're stuck, perhaps I can find a way to scan that material. Bob
If you do, please don't post it here as it would violate copyright. You could always PM it to him though
Cartwheel twopences So what did you find out? I pulled one of mine and came up with late Soho for this coin axis proof.
It looks like they are genuine originals, although I would have to assume in the case of the worn ones that they are originals purely on the basis that the re-strikes would probably not have been circulated....
