Great Britain 1946 3 pence KM-849
This specimen was lot 2455 in Goldberg sale 110 (Los Angeles, June 2019), where it did not sell. The catalog description[1] noted, "Great Britain. 12-sided brass Threepence, 1946. George VI. Obverse: Portrait of King left by Paget. Reverse: Thrift plant. THREE PENCE above, 1946 below. Uncirculated with virtually full original mint lustre. This is the key date in the series and extremely difficult to find in this state of preservation. A high catalogue value of around $1250 in basic mint state. NGC graded MS-64." Patterns of this nickel-brass threepence exist with the bust of Edward VIII but actual production commenced in 1937 with this type, which was struck until 1948. A modified obverse was used 1949-52. Upon Elizabeth's coronation, a wholly new design, with a portcullis reverse, was introduced. A proof only issue of 1970 ended the series. The silver threepence was last issued for circulation in 1944 but survives in the Maundy sets.
Recorded mintage: 621,000 plus a few proofs, the key date.
Specification: 6.8 g, nickel-brass (79% Cu-20% Zn-1% Ni), 21.8 mm diameter, designed by Thomas Humphrey Paget.
Catalog reference: S.4112; KM-849.
- Bressett, Kenneth E., A Guide Book of English Coins, Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, 2nd Ed., Racine, WI: Whitman Publishing, 1962.
- 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.
- 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.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Goldberg, Ira, Larry Goldberg, John Lavender, Yifu Che, Jason Villareal and Stephen Harvey, Goldberg Sale 110: the Pre-Long Beach Auction, Los Angeles: Goldberg Coins and Collectibles, 2019.
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