1871 British Penny die chip and grading

I'm more of a silver man myself and know little of bronze coins, just found this 1871 penny in the bottom of a box of extremely poor grade and currently circulating coins and was unware I even owned it. The coin is pleasing enough that I could get into bronze!

In front of the ship on the reverse, near the denticles, there is some kind of anomoly, a die chip I assume, are these common for these coins?

The coin is a lovely deep chocolate brown and the grade seems pretty good, what do others think for grading?

Looks like an ordinary little ding on the rim to me (Post Mint Damage), but I'm no expert.  I do think it's a beautiful coin!

N#3377 is the listing.

Thank you, I think it is a pleasing wee coin.

Maybe the photo is not too clear, but the mark stands proud of the surface, it's not a gouge or ding, it is made entirely of extra matrial, if that makes sense.

Probably a die crack then, it runs up and onto the sails from what I can see.

Ahhh, yes I see it.  I was looking in the wrong spot.  Right, I concur with King.

King

Probably a die crack then, it runs up and onto the sails from what I can see.

I hadn't noticed it runs on to the sails, so indeed a die crack rather than chip.

Will move it out of my junk box and into my collection.

Anyone have opinion on grading, just found this is a key date too.

Is it?  I only see a single line for 1871 and nothing in the comments section.  Is there information to be added?

1871 seems to be a year with low mintage rates, rather than a plethora of die variations.

Solway

King

Probably a die crack then, it runs up and onto the sails from what I can see.

I hadn't noticed it runs on to the sails, so indeed a die crack rather than chip.

Will move it out of my junk box and into my collection.

Anyone have opinion on grading, just found this is a key date too.

Yes better in your collection than in a junk box, key date is irrelevant (and such an Americanism) sorry Slipstreamed 😉 but at a little over 1 million it is almost 50 times rarer than the 1862 normal coin.

Grade it the same as you grade your silver coins 😂 there is no difference in the criteria.

King

Solway

King

Probably a die crack then, it runs up and onto the sails from what I can see.

I hadn't noticed it runs on to the sails, so indeed a die crack rather than chip.

Will move it out of my junk box and into my collection.

Anyone have opinion on grading, just found this is a key date too.

Yes better in your collection than in a junk box, key date is irrelevant (and such an Americanism) sorry Slipstreamed 😉 but at a little over 1 million it is almost 50 times rarer than the 1862 normal coin.

 

Grade it the same as you grade your silver coins 😂 there is no difference in the criteria.

 

 

Sorry, I wasn't suggesting the date was relevant to the grading. I just ran two unrelated sentences together, like a lemon.

Grading is always an opinion, of course, be it silver or bronze.

As to the term “Key Date” I have old folders of my grandfather's, he died in the 1980s, never left Cumbria in his life, but still used the term.

Thank you for the input, appreciated.

ahhh yes, key due to mintage. Yeah that’s a key date! Excellent find my friend.