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Descriptions of high point locations. Useful for
rapid screenings.
Obverse/Reverse Numbers as described in Coincraft 1999.
Victorian Copper (1838-1860)
Obverse 1 (1838-1853) - hair above ear and at the first headband; back of the
eye, hair bun.
Obverse 2 (1853-1860) - hair above ear and at the first headband; back of the
eye, hair bun.
Reverse 1 - chest of Britannia (look for necklace); thistle at bottom (must be
raised); center of the shield.
Notes:
(a) on the reverse, a poor strike may be the cause of apparent wear at the
chest. Look at the thistle.
(b) don't be fooled by the superb obverse detail. Even VF specimens show much
detail because the striking is so pronounced.
(c) contrary to rule of thumb - reverse appears to show wear faster than
obverse.
Bun Victorian Bronze (1860-1895)
Obverse 3 (1860) - cheek; braids on the bun; dress ornamentation to right of
chest; earlobe; berries.
Obverse 4 (1860-1875, 1875H) - cheek; braids on the bun; dress ornamentation to
right of chest; earlobe; berries.
Obverse 5 (1874H-1876H, 1876-1895) - area around the eye and cheek; braids on
the bun; dress ornamentation to right of chest; earlobe; berries and leaves.
Reverse 2 (1860) - Britannia's helmet just above forehead; chest area
(necklace); folds of garment above and to the right of shield.
Reverse 3 (1860-1895) - Britannia's helmet just above forehead; chest area
(necklace); folds of garment above and to the right of shield.
Notes:
(a) Obverses 3 and 4 have much detail - very easy to overgrade. Even VF
specimens have much hair detail. Obverse 5, with much less hair detail, is
somewhat more straightforward.
Veiled Victorian Bronze (1895-1901)
Obverse 6 (1895-1901) - cheek and folds of headdress; necklace jewel.
Reverses 4 (1895-1901) and 5 (1897) - Britannia's chest, helmet and fingers;
folds of garment near shield; right leg and right arm.
Notes:
(a) Another exception to rule of thumb - check reverse first!
(b) Obverse can look UNC at first glance even on NEF or even VF!
Edward VII Bronze (1902-1910)
Obverse - hair and beard (there must be hair!); ear.
Reverses 1 (1902, 1904-1910) and 2 (1903) - Britannia's chest, helmet and
fingers; folds of garment near shield; right leg and right arm.
Notes:
(a) Fast screening: check reverse first then obverse.
(b) Obverse is tough - many years are simply poorly struck. If there is wear on
the ear, look no further. Hair is at higher point than ear.
(c) Some reverses of 1902 may look worn but are simply poorly struck. Omit chest
area and check other high points first (ref Colin Cooke's website).
George V Bronze (1911-1936)
Obverse 1 (1911-1925) - beard from moustache to ear; moustache tip; top of ear;
eyebrow; below eye.
Obverse 2 (1926-1936) - moustache tip; top of ear; area around the eye from
cheek to eyebrow.
Reverse 1 (1911-1925) - Britannia's chest, helmet and fingers; folds of garment
near shield; right leg and right arm.
Reverse 2 (1926-1936) - Britannia's chest, helmet and fingers; right leg.
Notes:
(a) Fast screening: for 1911-1925, check reverse first then obverse. For
1926-1936, check obverse first.
(b) Obverse 1 is tough - many years, especially 1919-1922, are simply poorly
struck. If there is wear on the ear, look no further. Hair, beard and area
around eye are at higher points than ear.
(c) Tougher still is obverse 2. The beard is better defined, so it is very easy
to overgrade.
(d) Some reverse 1 examples, particularly 1920-1922, may look worn but are
simply poorly struck. Omit chest area and check other high points first.
George VI Bronze (1937-1952)
Obverse 1 (1937-1948) and Obverse 2 (1949-1952) - cheek directly to right of
nose; patch of hair above ear; eyebrow; hair below part.
Reverse (1937-1952) - base of wren's wing.
Notes:
(a) 90% of all bagmarks are found on cheek.
(b) Be suspicious of any dirty look on cheek - usually wear.
(c) Check only obverse for wear. Reverse of an EF looks like UNC.
Elizabeth II Bronze (1953-1956)
Obverse 1a (1953) - hair, leaves, earlobe.
Obverse 1b (1953) - hair, leaves.
Obverse 2 (1954-1956) - hair, leaves, earlobe.
Reverse (1953-1956) - base of wren's wing.
Notes:
(a) Obverse 1a comes from "plastic sets" and is very weakly struck.
(b) Obverse 1b, on for-circulation coins, is sharper but still pretty weak.
(c) A brown 1953 farthing with obverse 1 is too easy to pass off as UNC as there
is so little relief on either side.
(d) Obverse 2 is much sharper and thus it is easier to detect wear.
(e) Check only obverse for wear, as with George VI farthings. |
