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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 (1838-1860) - hair above ear and at the headbands; eyebrow; hair bun;
earlobe.
Reverse 1 - chest of Britannia (look for lacy detail above chest); thistle at
bottom (must be raised); garment over shield, center of shield; helmet.
Notes:
(a) don't be fooled by the superb obverse detail. Even VF specimens show much
hair detail because the striking is so pronounced.
(b) contrary to rule of thumb - reverse appears to show wear faster than
obverse.
Bun Victorian Bronze (1860-1894)
Obverses 2 (1860) and 3 (1860-1874) - eyebrow; braids on the bun; dress
ornamentation to right of chest; earlobe; hair covering ear; berries and leaves.
Obverse 4 (1874-1883) - cheek; braids on the bun; dress ornamentation to right
of chest; earlobe; berries.
Obverse 5 (1883-1894) - area around the eye and cheek; braids on the bun;
shoulder; dress ornamentation below shoulder; earlobe; hair over the ear;
berries and leaves.
Reverse 2 (1860) - Britannia's helmet just above forehead; chest area (look for
lace); folds of garment above and to the right of shield; toes on right foot.
Reverse 3a (1860-1879?) - Britannia's helmet just above forehead; chest area
(look for lace); folds of garment above and to the right of shield; toes on
right foot.
Reverse 3b (1880?-1895) - Britannia's helmet just above forehead; chest area
(look for lace); folds of garment above and to the right of shield; hologram
lines on shield; toes on right foot.
Notes:
(a) Obverses 2 and 3 have much detail - very easy to overgrade. Even VF
specimens have much hair detail. Obverses 4 and 5, with much less hair detail,
are somewhat more straightforward.
(b) Coincraft treats both 3a and 3b reverses as Reverse 3. Reverse 3b has a
different lighthouse and a hologram style shield, among other minor differences.
Veiled Victorian Bronze (1895-1901)
Obverse 6 (1895-1901) - cheek and folds of headdress; necklace jewel; cheek.
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!
Edward VII Bronze (1902-1910)
Obverse - hair and beard (there must be hair!); ear.
Reverses 1 (1902) and 2 (1902-1910) - 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 dates, particularly later years, are simply poorly
struck. If there is wear on the ear, look no further. Hair is at higher point
than ear.
George V Bronze (1911-1936)
Obverse 1 (1911-1925) - beard from moustache to ear; moustache tip; top of ear;
eyebrow; below eye.
Obverse 2 (1925-1936) - 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 (1925-1936) - Britannia's chest, helmet and fingers; right leg.
Notes:
(a) Fast screening: for 1911-1925 (type I), check reverse first then obverse.
For 1925 (type II) -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) - ship's flags: check the St. Andrew's cross on third flag,
which should be well defined and raised. Then check the other flags. Sail folds
should be well defined. Look for windows along the side of the ship.
Notes:
(a) 90% of all bagmarks are found on cheek.
(b) Be suspicious of any dirty look on cheek - usually wear.
Elizabeth II Bronze (1953-1970)
Obverse 1a (1953) - hair, leaves, earlobe.
Obverse 1b (1953) - hair, leaves.
Obverse 2 (1954-1970) - hair, leaves, earlobe.
Reverse (1953-1970) - same as George VI (with minor changes only).
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. In
both cases, face is very poorly defined.
(c) Obverse 2 is much sharper and thus it is easier to detect wear. |
