Forum
Dear colleagues, I would like to discuss one interesting coin from my collection.
It's East African 1 cent made by King`s Norton mint in 1924 year. According to my research there were minted three different types of this coin. Two ones were made from nickel, but they have different weight: 1,89 gr (thin flan) and 3,62 gr (thick flan). The third one - was made from the copper-nickel alloy.
I have got the coin with the thick flan. According to my research there are only three graded coins in the world (NGC MS65@1, PCGS SP65@2).
Here is some auction statistics:
1) Baldwin's Auctions, Auc 58 (24.09.2008), Lot 1492. THE DIANA COLLECTION. COINS OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE. British East Africa 1-Cent, 1924KN, unlisted Off Metal Strike in Copper-nickel, as above but on thicker planchet weighing 3.64g. In PCGS holder graded SP65
2) Baldwin's Auctions, Auc 85 (26.09.2013), Lot 3537. East AFRICA. Pure Nickel Pattern Cent, 1924KN, 3.62g (KM 22). Mint state. ex King’s Norton Mint archive in the last decade. Unknown in this metal until these came out of the archive. Sold 340 GBP
3) Stephen Album Rare Coins, Auc 29 (14.09.2017), Lot 1011. EAST AFRICA: George V, 1910-1936, nickel piéfort cent, 1924-KN, KM--, trial strike in nickel for a type struck in copper for circulation (KM-22), double thickness (not noted on the slab), only 2 examples of both varieties (normal & double thickness) seen by PCGS, both graded SP65, PCGS graded Specimen 65, RRR, ex King's Norton Mint Collection. The trial strikes for this type were unknown before the release of the mint archives.
As we know the common type of tis coin was made from the bronze (KM#22). It common, not expensive type of the coins, although several specimens are quite expensive. There is very rare 1925 year, made by London Mint.
Here is some statistics for the parent KM#22 type.
1922 - 8 250 000
1922H - 43 750 000
1922H - ? Specimen, Graded - 1: PCGS SPRB65@1
1923 - 50 000 000
1924 - Incl above
1924H - 17 500 000
1924KN - 10 720 000
1924KN - ? Specimen, Graded - 5: NGC SPRB64@2, NGC SPRB65@1, PCGS PRRB65@1, PCGS SPRD64@1
1925 - 6 000 000 Rare date
1925 - ? Specimen, Arielle Lot 3541. Present to the South Africa Mint
1925KN - 6 780 000
1927 - 10 000 000
1927 - ? Proof, Ford Sale, lot 274
1928H - 12 000 000
1928KN - 11 764 000
1928KN - ? Specimen, Graded - 17: NGC SPBN65@1, NGC SPRB65@1, PCGS SPRB63@1, PCGS SPRB65@1, PCGS SPBN65@1, PCGS SPBN66@1, PCGS SPRB64@1, PCGS SPRB65@4, PCGS SPRB66@5, PCGS SPRD64@1
1930 - 15 000 000
1930 - ? Proof, Graded - 1: PCGS PRRB65@1
1935 - 10 000 000
It's difficult to say why KN mint experimented with different alloys, Nickel is most more expensive material than standard copper-nickel alloy or bronze. If you have any additional information about this type of coins please add it.
Dear colleagues,
From East Africa KM-22 type I have a Cent struck at Royal Mint in 1930 and graded by PCGS PR65 RB.
Here is a picture.
My contribution to this interesting post: I have two of these EA 1c 1924KN in NICKEL in my collection.
George V: 1 cent 1924KN struck in Nickel (magnetic, not Cu-Ni as said in the Diana catalogue), Off Metal Strike on thicker planchet weighing 3.64g. Ex Diana Auction, auction 58, 24 Sept. 2008, lot 1492, sold there for £500.- + 15%. In PCGS holder graded SP65, 531267.65/30588369.
I bought exactly this coin from Karl Stephens Inc on 15.10.2014, list 184, lot 607, where is said: “1924KN One Cent as Y-20, as KM-22 (Bronze). Ex King's Norton Mint Collection, Trial struck in Nickel “.
George V: 1 cent 1924KN struck in Nickel (magnetic) on thick planchet (the regular issue was struck in bronze on thin planchet), Rare. Baldwin's, Auction 69, May 2011, lot 878, 3.665g, 1.83mm thick, Flaws on the reverse, otherwise ef, ungraded. Graded by NGC as MS65 later (NGC 4690415-009)
In Baldwin's Arielle Auction Number 85 (Sept. 2013) there were two East Africa 1 cent 1924KN Pattern coins in pure Nickel. The first (lot 3537) had a weight of 3.62g, the second (lot 3538) a weight of 1.89g. This difference in weight between both Pattern Nickel Cents indicates to the cataloguer Randy Weir that there was serious consideration given to this metal for an East African coinage.
I am lacking the lower weigh EA 1c 1924KN.
Why NICKEL? Don’t know, but all EA 1c from Edward VII till George V till 1921 were either in Al or Cu-Ni, only from then on Bronze was used. The 1921 1c in Cu-Ni was not released to circulation and was returned to the mint for melting. It is extremely rare as are the EA 50c 1920A and 1920H, these were also not released for circulation.
There is also an EA 1c 1924KN in Bronze. PCGS now (in new holders) regards the proofs as specimen only. I am lacking the 1c 1924, 1927, and 1930 from George V, though all three dates have a mintage well above 10 Million coins. And indeed, the 1925 1c is very rare, 6 Million coins were minted for that date.
George V: The 1c 1924KN in Bronze is in an “old” PCGS holder PR65RB 142061.65/6465408
Here is the print of 1 Cent 1920, made by Heaton Mint (KM#12) and the story about this series:
The rupee of British India had come to be the coinage standard of the Protectorate of East Africa and Uganda (largely because it was used to pay Indian workers on the Kenya-Uganda Railway). In 1920 the East African Protectorate became the Colony of Kenya, the East Africa Currency Board was set up in December 1919. It introduced a new decimal system based on 100 cents to one East African Florin in 1920 (this coin), abandoning yet retaining the old rupee system - the florin being the same weight as the Indian rupee. This was very short lived, on 1 May 1921 it was replaced by a system based on 100 cents to 1 East African Shilling. This system was expanded on 1 January 1922 to be the official Currency of Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyka. This 1 cent coin was prepared under the florin based decimal system of 1920; the issue was not required as the new shilling based system of 1921 was to have a bronze 1 cent coin (first issued 1922).
In Mint State the 25 Cents is scarce, the Florin is Rare, the 1 Cent, 5 Cent and 10 Cents are very rare and the 50 Cents is really only known as a Specimen strike from one of the 20 or so sets struck.
Returning to the previous coin type, I'd like to add that there is another very rare Co-Ni type, also made by King's Norton mint. The only example I have found was sold at the Diana Sale (2008). Here is the description made by Mr. Randy Weir. Baldwin's Auctions, Auc 58 (24.09.2008), Lot 1491. THE DIANA COLLECTION. COINS OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE. British East Africa 1-Cent, 1924KN, unlisted Off Metal Strike in Copper-nickel, same thickness as the copper coin weighing 2.02g; and a Copper 1924KN 1-Cent for comparison. Spot on reverse of first, both uncirculated. I don't have this coin type in my collection. I see that the KN mint experimented with the different alloys that time. in resalt all these excellent examples were born.
Although to be honestly I don’t understand how two similar materials (Co-Ni and Ni) can be determined.
In my collection there is another very interesting uniface example (parent type – KM#22, Pm#13&14). I have got both types. Here is the photo of one of them.
And as usual, it's the statistics
3-4 pairs, Graded - 1: NGC MSRB65@1
1) Spink, Ford Sale (14.10.1991), Lot 284. George V uniface strikings of the Obv and Rev of a Cent 1925. The Obv mint state, with original colour, the Rev dull extremely fine, very rare
2) Spink, Remick Sale (29.11.2006), Lot 838. East Africa, George V, uniface pair of trials for the 1 Cent 1925KN, showing the obverse or reverse respectively, toned, some lustre, finger-marks, about UNC, rare
3) Baldwin's Auctions, Auc 58 (24.09.2008), Lot 1493. COINS OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE. British East Africa 1-Cent, 1925KN (KM 22), Uniface Die Trials, obverse and reverse, and a currency piece as an example of the best we could find. Uncirculated with some mint red, the last very fine. (3) We have seen a few of these over the years, including the Remick set that sold for £200+.
4) Baldwin's Auctions, Auc 85 (26.09.2013), Lot 3542. East AFRICA. Bronze Uniface Strikes of the Obverse and the Reverse of the 1925KN Cent. Uncirculated and clearly struck in this way to check the dies. (2) The Ford collection had an example that sold for £100. The Diana collection had an example that sold for £340, lot 1493.
The "no date" example is unique. There is only one graded example: Graded - 1: NGC MSRB63@1
Pure Nickel is a magnetic material, so a small permanent magnet will attract the Nickel coin. Copper Nickel(Cu-Ni) is not magnetic, so the difference is there without doubt possible, even if the coins of different material are looking very similar