I have had a lot of these bronze UK half penny and pennies. Never seen a nickel colored one before. Bad mix?
What does it weigh compared to a normal one? It's entirely possible for copper to tone any number of colors, but that does look weird. The devices also look different.
I've seen and have a few of these and when 1925-27 is looked up on numista it looks like they are silver color. https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces7173.html Not sure why.
Copper + Tin = Bronze Copper + Zinc = Brass These are bronze, and as mentioned, either had too much tin added, or had some worn coins put in the vat, which would have addded more tin. Not out of the norm to have variation. I have some BU farthings that look like they are made of gold, which is why the mint would blacken them.
I considered that first, but they would have had to have plated a worn coin, because it's got a bit of wear, and no bronze is peeking through anywhere. Metallurgist was drunk while he mixed this batch.
1920-21 was severe recession in UK. Metals markets in turmoil with prices crashed, mines going broke. I think the correct mixture was 2.5% zinc, .5% tin, 97% copper. I’d get that puppy XRF checked some time
That's very interesting. A keeper. Regular bronze ones are about a dollar. Maybe that one is more with the different alloy mixture.