1926 Unrecorded Trial (Gouby D+d; Freeman 4+C) (PU?)
Example 1
Unrecorded die pairing (for 1926) discovered by Michael Freeman and a probable trial for the coinage of 1927 which did feature this die pairing; modified effigy obverse and the reverse actually being used from 1927 through to 1936. This is probably a trial piece, produced during a period of experimentation that also produced a 1922 coin with the same die pairing and a 1926 penny with a “hybrid” reverse (both on this site).
Freeman’s article on this penny (also referencing the 1922 mule above) appeared in the Spink Numismatic Circular of May 2010 where he writes that, if he were to produce an updated version of “The Bronze Coinage of Great Britain”, he would record this variety as F196A. He also describes it as “although not exhibiting the flan of a proof, the strike on both sides is sharp and shows more detail than appears even on uncirculated 1927 specimens with these dies”. It is also mentioned in Chris Peckris’s article on the coinage of George V Part IV in Coin News February 2016.
Part of Freeman’s article:
This variety is now included in Spink’s “Coins of England and Great Britain” under reference 4054A, previously with a somewhat incorrect description which has now been amended following my suggestion to use the wording “smaller Britannia with shorter right thumb” to define the true 1927 reverse.
Probably unique
Michael Freeman’s own comments on this coin (on the Predecimal Coin Forum)
“Below is the full text of the description I sent Heritage, but which they did not use. I write too much!
*1926 penny, OBV.4 + REV.C – the Modified bust AND Modified reverse. UNIQUE. S. 4054A. Ex M.J. Freeman.
After many years of striking pennies which had ghosting (a faint unintentional impression of the king’s head showing through on the reverse around Britannia), the Royal Mint found the solution.
The high relief of the head had caused ‘suction’ of metal from the reverse, so, in 1922, a new reverse was re-engraved. A few specimens were struck that year, and circulated. These still bore the old obverse; but there is also a so-far unique penny of 1922 with a completely re-engraved OBVERSE*, in low relief, paired with the new reverse. Both seem then to have been shelved for 3 years.
No penny was struck in 1923, 1924, or 1925. The halfpenny and farthing were struck during these years, and in 1925 coins with both the old style and the new, modified, dies are found; but it was not until 1926, when penny striking resumed, that the new, modified head, was introduced on this denomination. Both the high relief (Freeman obverse 3) and the low relief obverse 4 – usually referred to as the ‘Modified Effigy’ – occur for 1926, although the latter is much the scarcer.
On 1926 pennies, both types of obverse are paired with the same, earlier-style, reverse – B – with the exception of THIS coin.
The 1922 modified reverse has been revised in slight detail, with Britannia’s head a little larger. This reverse – C – remained, unaltered, on all pennies from 1927 until the end of the reign in 1936.
From 1928, the modified effigy was significantly reduced in size, so the original, larger, modified effigy is found only on a small number of 1926, and ALL of 1927.
On this coin there are traces of another numeral inside the ‘6’; but 1927 was the ONLY year known to have obverse 4 + reverse C, and it is definitely not a ‘7’; so the alteration was to the DIE, not the coin.
This conclusion is reinforced by traces of an exergual line below the level found on reverse C, in fact where it used to occur on reverse B. My guess is that the reverse was engraved with the date ‘1925’ but, as it was not used until this coin was struck, the ‘5’ was overstruck with a ‘6’.”