News:

Sign up for the monthly zoom events by sending a PM with your email address to Hitesh

Main Menu

South Africa: pattern farthing of 1942

Started by <k>, July 11, 2020, 02:32:51 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

<k>



South Africa, quarter penny, 1942.


The obverse of a South African farthing.

It shows the uncrowned portrait of King George VI.
Visit the website of The Royal Mint Museum.

See: The Royal Mint Museum.

<k>

#1


South Africa, pattern quarter penny, 1942.


Here is a pattern farthing (quarter penny) of 1942.

The portrait of the King is shown within an inner circle on the obverse.


Image courtesy of NGC.
Visit the website of The Royal Mint Museum.

See: The Royal Mint Museum.

Figleaf

An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.

<k>

#3


South Africa, pattern quarter penny, 1942.


My thanks to our forum member Gerhard Schön. He sent me the image above and commented:

There is another pattern with small head and the circle removed before they switched to the regular size head.
Visit the website of The Royal Mint Museum.

See: The Royal Mint Museum.

Figleaf

It looks like on Gerhard's pattern, the same head was used as on the pattern with the circle and the font size was also the same.

If so, I could imagine that the process started with the thought that the circle would be nice, as it would match the circle on the reverse. They found out that with the circle, the font size would have to be adjusted to remain in the centre of the area between the edge and the circle, as on the reverse, so they removed the legend. The last stage would have been to insert the modified legend. Maybe that pattern exists or maybe an ukase from London informed the South Africans that such heresy could not be allowed. Compare the Australian halfpenny 1938.

Peter
An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.