Great Britain 1885 half penny
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This specimen was lot 29743 in Heritage sale 3037 (New York, January 2015), where it sold for $734.38. The catalog description[1] noted, "Victoria Proof 1/2 Penny 1885 PR64 Red and Brown NGC, Royal mint. A few areas of unevenness to the color of the patina but still an exceptionally high grade example of this rare type. From The Law Collection." In 1860, the copper half penny was superseded by a smaller bronze half penny. To mark the change, the young bust was dropped in favor of the "bun head." This type was struck until 1895. The farthings and pennies were similarly modified.
Recorded mintage: 8,601,000 plus proofs.
Specification: 5.4 g, bronze.
Catalog reference: KM 754, S-3956.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Bierrenbach, Cristiano, Warren Tucker and Scott Cordry, Heritage Signature Auction 3037, featuring the Empire, the Santa Catarina, the Law and the Santa Maria Collections, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2014.
- Bressett, Kenneth E., A Guide Book of English Coins, Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, 2nd Ed., Racine, WI: Whitman Publishing, 1962.
- 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.
- Freeman, Michael J., The Bronze Coinage of Great Britain, Rev. Ed., London: Spink & Son, 2006.
- Peck, C. Wilson, English Copper, Tin and Bronze Coins in the British Museum, 1558-1958, 2nd Ed., London: Oxford University Press, 1970.
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