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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;robp, post: 5134851, member: 96746&quot;]There are different options. You can punch in the new detail without removing the old character as per the 1578 over 7 sixpence above, or you can fill the die (presumably by hammering soft metal as used for the die into the die recess) and punch in the new detail as per the 1675 over 3 over 2 halfpenny above. The former is fairly obvious in hand, but the latter is usually very subtle.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1204807[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Using the 5/3/2 above as it covers both options, the only hint you have of the 2 is the horizontal line on the base. This is very slightly raised and is the edge of where the incuse detail on the die has been filled, but is not a perfect job and so there is a slight undulation in the field at this point. When the 3 was entered, the top loop of the 3 partly followed the line of the 2 top curve, but then the bottom loop curved out to avoid the filled area. The 5 was subsequently added by utilising part of the bottom loop as seen.</p><p><br /></p><p>Whatever is done, the die needs to be softened prior to entering the new letter or digit as it is almost impossible to punch in a clean sided letter, otherwise you tend to see a series of stepped characters as the punch works deeper as the hardened metal is harder to penetrate. The image below is a good demonstration of this. This is a James I halfgroat with the spur rowel mark punched in over a saltire. The saltire mark was used during the pyx period 9th June 1619 - 23rd June 1620. For some reason Spur Rowel was also pyxed on the same day. This may have been a delayed pyx for Saltire, or maybe there were two mints operating that year in the Tower, as had been the case 70 years earlier. Assuming Saltire preceded Spur Rowel, rather than scrap the unused dies after the first mark closed, they were reused as was normal practice by entering the new mark, which is a 6 pointed star with a central hole. The right angle of the saltire is clearly seen as the highest point. The spur rowel overmark, which has no right angles, can be seen as a series of steps coming in from 10 o&#039;clock. This coin is the Coins of England S2671 variety which reads &#039;mm.24 with rev. stops known&#039;. Reverse stops are a feature of 2nd coinage halfgroats, no stops for 3rd coinage.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1204813[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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