Great Britain 1841 penny
The first specimen is lot 966 in UBS sale 84 (Basel, January 2010). The catalog description[1] noted,
"GROSSBRITANNIEN. Victoria, 1837-1901. Penny 1841. Fast FDC. (Great Britain, Victoria, 1837-1901, penny of 1841, nice Uncirculated)."
The copper pennies of Victoria were issued 1841-60 in fairly large quantities but are scarce compared to the massive issues of the smaller bronze pennies of 1860-94. The pure copper composition also caused the coins to wear more quickly than bronze, making high grade specimens even scarcer. Like the United States large cents of the same period, many varieties exist, avidly pursued by specialists. The second specimen was lot 33175 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2025), where it sold for $4,320. The catalog description[2] noted, "Exceptionally Rare Off-Metal Penny Striking in Silver, GREAT BRITAIN. Silver Penny, 1841. London Mint. Victoria. PCGS PROOF Genuine--Damage, AU Details. A colossal RARITY, this majestic example features the contemporary Penny design from the copper series, but presented here in silver that has garnered a magnificent cabinet nature. Though a hint of rub to the high points is noted, along with some very minor damage to the surfaces, this stunner is a tremendous opportunity for a type that is not often available in the marketplace. Indeed, we can trace just one other example trading--a specimen that realized an equivalent of just over $8,000 hammer in September 2007. That record indicates information from the Murdoch sale in 1904, in that these off-metal strikings were issued in commemoration of the birth of the future Edward VII. Ex: Virgil M. Brand Collection."
Recorded mintage: 914,000.
Specification: 18.8 g, copper, 34 mm diameter, plain edge, medal rotation, the first specimen 18.84 grams.
Catalog reference: S. 3948, KM 739. The second specimen is S-3948 note; KM-PnB111; Peck-1481 (EXR).
- [1]UBS Gold & Numismatics, Auction 84: Gold and Silver Coins, Basel, 2009.
- Bressett, Kenneth E., A Guide Book of English Coins, Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, 2nd Ed., Racine, WI: Whitman Publishing, 1962.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Lobel, Richard, Mark Davidson, Allan Hailstone and Eleni Calligas, Coincraft's Standard Catalogue of English and UK Coins, 1066 to Date, London: Coincraft, 1995.
- Skingley, Philip, ed., Standard Catalogue of British Coins: Coins of England & the United Kingdom, 46th edition, London: Spink & Son, 2011.
- [2]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, January 2025 NYINC Showcase Auction, featuring the Richard Margolis Collection, Part III, and the Richard August Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2024.
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