Atkin Brothers halfpenny
Atkin Brothers halfpenny
Here is an oddity. It is a Victorian halfpenny which has been silver plated and stamped with the Atkin Brothers maker’s mark. It also has the initials FG. It has a hole, which appears to have been punched rather that drilled. So what might it be? Maybe one of the workers who made himself a fob or possibly just a test piece for the plating and mark punch.
Re: Atkin Brothers halfpenny
Hi Paul,
I have a similar example, from memory, a JNM (John Newton Mappin) mark punched onto a Victorian penny. If I can find it, I'll post some images, but I don't recall seeing it for years!
This may represent some long-forgotten tradition in the trade going back many years, as somewhere, again unseen for years, I have an image of a Godbehere & Wigan mark struck onto a coin. I'll add the image when I find it.
Trev.
I have a similar example, from memory, a JNM (John Newton Mappin) mark punched onto a Victorian penny. If I can find it, I'll post some images, but I don't recall seeing it for years!
This may represent some long-forgotten tradition in the trade going back many years, as somewhere, again unseen for years, I have an image of a Godbehere & Wigan mark struck onto a coin. I'll add the image when I find it.
Trev.
Re: Atkin Brothers halfpenny
Here's the Godbehere-Wigan image that I came across years ago:
It's a little surprising perhaps that they did not choose to strike the mark on a smooth part of the coin face, rather than on the King's head itself.
I doubt that these are counter-marks that are sometimes to be found on coins, the coin value being so low. Perhaps they denote when an apprentice is allowed to strike the maker's mark for the first time?
Hopefully other members may have further examples.
Trev.
It's a little surprising perhaps that they did not choose to strike the mark on a smooth part of the coin face, rather than on the King's head itself.
I doubt that these are counter-marks that are sometimes to be found on coins, the coin value being so low. Perhaps they denote when an apprentice is allowed to strike the maker's mark for the first time?
Hopefully other members may have further examples.
Trev.
Re: Atkin Brothers halfpenny
Working on the apprentice theory; how about this Walker & Hall example as a "freedom" piece?
