Owner Comments:
As I previously noted, the 1799 halfpenny currency strikes are
Very Common. This shouldn’t be too much of a surprise given that over 42 million were minted. That said, I have not seen many with notable mint errors such as the coin pictured. Although it is far from the primary focus of this set, coins like this do have a place in the broader context of the Soho Mint.
Obverse: the following description would apply to a non-error coin of this type. The bust of George III faces right. A wreath of 11 leaves and three berries rest on his head and is tied behind the neck by a riband with one loop and two loose ends. A single dot (.) appears on the lowest fold of the drapery, caught by a clasp of 6 square jewels. The legend occurs within a thin raised rim and toothed border that reads as follows: GEORGIUS III DEI GRATIA REX (even spacing).
The nature of this mint error only leaves the top remnants of the legend visible, but you can still see traces of the bottom portion when carefully inspecting the coin under a light. The King’s portrait is also heavily impacted by the error, with most of the fine details absent or faint.
Reverse: the following description would apply to a non-error coin of this type. Britannia is depicted facing left wearing a close-fitting drapery sitting on a rock surrounded by waves. Her right arm is extended, and her hand holds an olive-branch with 14 leaves and no berries. Her left arm is down with a trident clasped in her grasp of which the middle prong points just left of the first limb of the 2nd “N” in Britannia. An oval shield with a thin raised rim adorns the crosses of St. George and St. Andrew (heraldically colored) is to her left side. A 3-masted warship with five incuse gunports appears in the sea in front of her about halfway down her leg. Three raised dots appear in a triangle shape on the rock to the right of the shield. The date “1799” occurs just under the curved sea with the “1” entirely separated from the sea. The legend occurs within the thin raised rim and toothed border and reads as follows: BRITANNIA with the date appearing at the bottom of the coin just under the primary device.
The reverse legend and main device are impacted similarly to their counterparts on the obverse. Interestingly, the “wavy” area under Britannia’s arm that is typically found on currency strikes is still present.
Edge: Engrailed
Notes: I am not an expert in error coins, but I find it interesting that the coin has the same strikethrough characteristics on both sides of the coin. One can only wonder what exactly it was struck through. Who doesn’t enjoy a bit of mystery with their coins?