Guide

Reading a variety

A short introduction to the terms used throughout this site.

What counts as a variety

The varieties here come from deliberate changes made to the production dies: a digit punched a second time, a letter recut by hand, a date placed differently. Barry does not include ordinary mint errors unless they are significant or unusual.

How varieties are named

Each variety has a label such as TYPE I (a).

The Roman numeral groups varieties that share a main feature. For the 1865 cent, TYPE I covers the Wide Date coins and TYPE II the Narrow Date coins.
The letter separates the varieties within that group.
A Recent addition tag marks a variety added to the study after the printed book.

Reading the photographs

Many close-ups carry Barry's guide lines and arrows pointing at the detail that matters. On the website these can be switched off with the Markers button to see the coin unobstructed. Any photograph opens full size when clicked.

What you need

Most of these varieties can be seen with low magnification. A 5× to 10× loupe and good light are enough to start; worn coins may need more care.

Glossary

Wide Date / Narrow Date: How far apart the digits of the date are spaced. Barry also uses Widest and Narrowest where several spacings exist for a year.
Repunched (Rep'd): A digit punched into the die a second time, often slightly off from the first, leaving traces of the original.
Tall "6" / Short "6": A repunched digit where the second punch was a different size from the first. The order says which was punched over which.
Multi-punched: A digit punched more than twice.
Re-engraved (Re-Eng.): A letter recut by hand on the die, usually leaving parts of the original letter visible beside the new one.
Low "5": A digit sitting lower than the others in the date.
Gothic / Romanesque "W": Two styles of the W in NEWFOUNDLAND used on the 1865 cents. See the 1865 page.
Wire border: The thin raised rim inside the edge of the coin.
Spur: A small raised projection, such as the fine spur off the wire border on some 1865 cents.
Die crack: A raised line on the coin caused by a crack in the die.
Obverse / Reverse: The portrait side and the value side of the coin.