[Closed] 1926 Modified Effigy Penny (UK) Wanted [solved]

With the help of several Numista members I've almost completed my penny collection back as far as 1894, I've got the H & KN's, the 1950, 1953 & 1951 but I just can't find a 1926 ME, KM# 825. I do have the 1927 already. Help me out here guys.

I've asked the usual suspects, scoured eBay, even Heritage.... nothing. It's not even a really rare variety which is the frustrating part. The problem is that most collectors and even many dealers can't identify one.  Many assume it's the much smaller head used from 1928 - 1936.

In 1926 and 1927 the Royal Mint released coins with slightly modified images of George V to deal with the "reverse halo" effect caused by the highly detailed image becoming imposed on the reverse side as coins circulated. If you look at a few pennys from 1911 - 1926 you will see what I mean. The new (1926/7)design is slightly less raised and has a much more defined point to ole' Georges beard but at a cursory glance it is identical to the earlier coins. In high grades the difference is clear but in lower grades it's hard to spot even with a 1927 and a 1925 to use as a reference.

The coin is scarce but not at all rare, I would guess that if one had 100 1926 pennys you would find at least a couple of ME's. Buying bulk lots of pennys or even dozens of unsorted 1926's isn't financially sane - so I'm stuck. There is one for sale on eBay (very overpriced IMHO) but unfortunately it's not in my opinion an ME as the seller claims.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/17-GREAT-BRITAIN-ONE-PENNY-GEORGE-V-1926-Modified-Head-/120855323735?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c2389e457

There is a really easy way to tell. The colon(:) between BRITT & OMN on the obverse legend is halfway between the T & O on the original design but on the ME coins it is very much closer to the T, as it was in the Edward VII issues from 1902 - 1910. Foolproof!

Here's the link to Tony Clayton's most wonderful website showing the difference in close up. All UK collectors should have this website bookmarked.

http://www.coins-of-the-uk.co.uk/pics/pen4.html

So, armed with this information if anyone can find a 1926 ME penny and is willing to trade I would be prepared to shower untold riches upon you.  If not, then I hope you have found the above informative.

About 3 years ago I received over 250 pennies from that era (and shoeboxes full of other silver coins), Ill check if I have one, since I have almost every english coin to date in my boxes.
-Daniel

Quote: coinsnnotes2011About 3 years ago I received over 250 pennies from that era (and shoeboxes full of other silver coins), Ill check if I have one, since I have almost every english coin to date in my boxes.
-Daniel

Hello Daniel,

There are a good number of Swiss coins in your exchange list which I would be interested in swapping also.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/170778019135?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649&autorefresh=true

  I see what you mean about prices -
I have been watching this one for days, and tonight it sold for £102  

that must be one heck of a penny,almost as bad the usa 1cent 1909s v.d.b.???

Quote: pnightingale

Quote: coinsnnotes2011About 3 years ago I received over 250 pennies from that era (and shoeboxes full of other silver coins), Ill check if I have one, since I have almost every english coin to date in my boxes.
-Daniel

Hello Daniel,

There are a good number of Swiss coins in your exchange list which I would be interested in swapping also.

I'm sorry, I found out that my pennies are mixed dates but nothing for 1926 :/

Quote: ZacUKhttp://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/170778019135?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649&autorefresh=true

  I see what you mean about prices -
I have been watching this one for days, and tonight it sold for £102  

It's one of the most enigmatic of coins. Nobody knows exactly how many were minted as it's included in the type I mintage of 4,499,000. It scores R5 on the rarity index which is around 100k?  That's generally accepted as a reasonably accurate figure based I believe on surveys done in the 1960's of circultating coins. That would put it right in the same number as the 1951 penny (120k) yet it's easy to buy full rolls of these on eBay.

P.S. Thanks for checking Daniel

I am very, very happy to say that this long search is finally over thanks to one of our members. I won't name him unless he wishes me to (some people are privacy conscious) but he is my new best friend and I am going to shower riches upon him. Hell, he can even date one of my daughters as long as he isn't a Democrat.

Thank you to all the UK collectors who have been helping out with this particular quest and especially to our mystery man.  The fellow collectors here at Numista are just a great set of people.  It has been very pleasant to find so many people willing to help out with this particular problem, once again thank you all. As you can tell I'm one extremely happy collector right now.

Now, about that 1933 penny........

That's fantastic news, Phil, I'm genuinely delighted for you  Be sure to show it off to us when you get it.

Quote: radrick007That's fantastic news, Phil, I'm genuinely delighted for you  Be sure to show it off to us when you get it.

Thanks Rick :)

I am planning a picture-taking session soon, highlights of my various collections I would like to share. Of course my latest precious will be amongst them along with a really beautiful double-barrelled shotgun I'll be picking up on Friday afternoon. A Remington with 20 inch blue steel barrels; it looks so intimidating! It will keep my coins safe from thieves.

Pictures would be very appreciated, as I don't know the difference between normal and ME. Krause isn't very clear about this... , so I don't know if mine is ME or not...

The letters BRITT OMN have a : colon between, and on Modified Effigy it is closer to BRITT
So if it is BRITT : OMN it is normal coin.
Then if it is BRITT: OMN it is ME version.
Also the height of the colon; the two dots are further apart on the ME version.
There is a good website run by Numista member 'cobra' with many coin varieties on, including 1926ME ...

http://monnaiesetvarietes.zxq.net/FICHES/Royaume%20uni/GRANDE%20BRETAGNE.GEORGE%20V%20Portrait%20doc.pdf

Similar spacing applies just before the above in GRA BRITT colon also. On normal coins it is all continuous as in GRA:BRITT and ME coins have a space after colon like GRA: BRITT on them. That page has pictures which show what I mean. I find it a bit confusing as the portrait looks hardly modified, more the lettering. :)

EDIT: In case that link no longer works, here is a different one ...
http://monnaiesetvarietes.esy.es/FICHES/Royaume%20uni/GRANDE%20BRETAGNE.GEORGE%20V%20Portrait%20doc.pdf

Thank you ZacUK.
Mine is not ME...

Phil, I'm still keeping an eye out for you scouring eBay for ya and the other avenues. The only thing is it seems with coin collecting there's alot of people like me.. Most people my age aren't capable of finding rare things and generally have to be spoon fed. I made a fortune out of hard to come by car parts from high spec vauxhalls a few months back ha !