1953 Pattern Mule (Gouby C*+a) (R19?)
I discovered this previously unrecorded variety when I bought a penny at Croydon Coin Auction in September 2000, described as mule with beaded obverse and toothed reverse. On careful examination I found that the beaded obverse was neither the currency obverse of 1953 (B with 121 border beads) nor the proof obverse of 1953 (C with 120 border beads) but was, in fact, an unrecorded obverse with 122 border beads. I sent it to the Royal Mint who authenticated it and thought it had probably been produced in 1952 (confirmed below) as an early striking. I then referred it to Michael Gouby who in turn found that he owned a similar coin that had featured in an article by Max Brehm in the Spink Numismatic Circular of June 1986 (although at that time no-one had noticed the extra bead). Michael thought that his coin was a matt proof whereas mine looks more like a currency strike, but when his coin was re-sold in December 2014, collectors who examined it believed that it was more likely to be a currency strike, similar to mine. Michael agreed to refer to it as obverse C* in all future documentation.
Distinguishing between Obverses B, C and C*
Obv B Currency A of REGINA to gap A of ELIZABETH to bead |
Obverse C Proof A of REGINA to bead A of ELIZABETH to gap |
Obverse C* Pattern A of REGINA to gap A of ELIZABETH to gap |
I have recently found that another example is held within the Royal Collection, with provenance described as “Struck as a trial, 17 September 1952, reverse die as used for George VI coinage” (see example 3).
Example 1
Bought from Max Brehm in 1995 by Michael Gouby
Re-sold in 2000 to Trevor Legge
Sold by Spink in December 2014 as part of the Trevor Legge collection
Example 2
Sold in September 2000 by Croydon Coin Auctions
Example 3
Part of the Royal Collection Trust (see Royal Trust website http://www.rct.uk)
Struck as a trial, 17 September 1952, reverse die as used for George VI coinage