My George III Coin Discovery: From Twopence Doubts to Penny Clarity

While digging through some old family heirlooms, I came across a coin that really caught my eye – a worn piece I first guessed might be a George III 2 pence, 2nd issue. That little mystery sent me down such an interesting rabbit hole of identification that I just had to share what I learned.

The Thrill of the Find and Initial Confusion

Discovering this coin tucked away in my grandfather’s desk felt like uncovering buried treasure. At first glance, its chunky size had me convinced it was the 2 pence. But the more I studied it, the more I realized how tricky these IDs can be. The heavy wear had eaten away at key details, and I soon found out that mixing up George III pennies and twopences is practically a rite of passage for collectors – they’re both such hefty little disks!

Key Differences in Identifying George III Coins

After comparing notes with reference books and fellow collectors, I zeroed in on the real giveaway: where Britannia’s trident points relative to the lettering:

• On the twopence, the center prong lines up with the downstroke of that second ‘N’ in ‘BRITANNIA’
• For the penny, it lands smack between the ‘N’ and ‘I’ – which turned out to be the case with my coin
• Always break out your calipers and scale too – a twopence runs about 41mm while the penny’s smaller at 35-36mm and weighs roughly 26g. Wear can shave off a millimeter or two, so never eyeball it

Grading, Value, and Collecting Insights

My coin was in rough shape – extremely worn. I’ll admit I initially wondered if such a worn piece was worth the excitement. But here’s what changed my perspective:

• Monetary value? Maybe $10 or less – these common dates turn up worn all the time
• Historical value? Priceless. Holding something that circulated during the Georgian era feels like touching history
• Paradoxically, heavily worn examples are scarce because these unpopular coins often got stashed away unused – too heavy for pockets! The extreme wear on mine suggests it might’ve been a ‘touch piece’ carried for luck
• While high-grade examples sit in cabinets, worn coins like this show real circulation history. They remind us collecting isn’t just about condition census numbers

Practical Advice for Fellow Collectors

If you’re hunting these ‘cartwheel’ coins yourself, here’s what worked for me:

• Trust your tools – a $20 digital scale and micrometer prevent costly assumptions
• Cross-reference trident positions with online images – the differences become obvious once you know where to look
• Give worn coins their due – they often tell richer stories than mint-state pieces
• Remember why we collect – yes, George III coppers have a market, but the real joy comes from preserving these tangible links to the past

Turned out my ‘twopence’ was a penny all along. But you know what? The misidentification made me appreciate these chunky coppers even more. They’re weighty reminders of when money had physical presence and life moved slower. Whether it’s a penny or twopence, every rediscovered piece adds another layer to our shared history.