1887 Half Crown varieties
In his seminal work, Davies recorded two varieties of 1887 British half crown - 1+A and 2+A (p51, Davies, British Silver Coins Since 1816, 1982).
| Die combination | Notes |
|---|---|
| Pattern | I of FID points at denticle; two lines below crown trefoils and three pearls on centre arch of crown |
| 1+A | I of FID points between denticles; two lines below crown trefoils and three and a half pearls on centre arch of crown |
| 2+A | I of FID points between denticles; three lines below crown trefoils and three half pearls on centre arch of crown |
Since Davies' publication, a small number of 1887 half crowns with the 7 pointing at a rim denticle have been discovered. Closer examination reveals that it is not just variation in the spacing of the date digits, but a different and previously unknown reverse altogether. Even further examination reveals that these coins were struck with a previously unknown obverse as well, with characteristics of both obverse 1 and 2. Given this, it is likely that the 7 to denticle half crowns are in fact patterns, or were struck with pattern dies.
The pattern coins are reported to appear in some of the silver only proof sets of 1887.