Cover.qxd 8/03/2011 10:19 AM Page 1 Volume 20 Journal of the Numismatic Association of Australia Master dies and tools from the Royal Mint for Australian pennies and halfpennies of George V Paul M Holland This article describes the preparation master die used to prepare 193- dated of master tools at the Royal Mint (London) punches for Australia in September 1930 for the Australian pennies and halfpennies was discovered in the records (Fig. 1). of George V, thereby completing the listing While it is of the same 1911 die type as the of master tools for the pre-decimal bronze 1930 penny, careful examination of the coinage presented previously in volumes 8 orientation of the numeral 3 shows that and 9 of this Journal.1, 2 Perhaps more these punches could not have been used for importantly, the new insights gained from the 1930 penny, but apparently were used this information from Engraving in making dies for 1931 ‘dropped 1’ Department records finally allow some pennies. This observation helps explain the long-asked numismatic questions about the changeover in reverse die type for pennies complexity of penny dies of George V to in 1931. Finally, information on the be addressed.3 For example: preparation of dated punches at the Royal —Why did master tools for a second Mint can be correlated with observations penny reverse die type come to be of the variation in date numeral positions fabricated in 1912, only a year after its introduction in 1911? on the coins produced. —What was the origin of the new Indian One of the numismatic delights of obverse and Calcutta reverse penny die George V pennies is the variation exhibited types in 1916? in their dies and the substantial number of 4–6 —Why did the Royal Mint revert to the different die pairing varieties that result. original 1911 reverse design for 1923 dated pennies? —Why did the penny reverse die type change in 1931? Mint records also reveal the source of the letter and device punches used by William H. J. Blakemore for engraving the reverse dies for Australian pennies and Figure 1. Inked impression of the penny reverse halfpennies, as well as the source of the master die of 13 Aug 1930 from Engraving letter punches used for the obverses. Also, Department records at the Royal Mint (London) an inked impression of the penny reverse used to prepare 193- dated punches for Australia. JNAA 20, 2009(2010) 43 Paul M Holland These die type variations can be readily provide useful markers for identifying a identified by the relative position of the particular master die. legend with border beads or other features, Alternatively, a master die (or matrix) including the English and Indian obverse can be engraved by hand, aided by the use die types, and the London, Birmingham of letter punches for the legend, and and Calcutta reverse die types. An sometimes device or piece punches for understanding of the different die types other design elements. This requires a and how they arose begins with an higher level of skill and precision since it is understanding of modern methods of die done at the same size scale as on the coin production and the preparation of die tools. itself, and the results will depend on the There are several different approaches artistry of the engraver. for the preparation of a master die (or Since producing a master die is a time- matrix). The standard method begins with consuming and expensive process, it is too the preparation of a reduction punch (or valuable to be used for striking coins. hub) from a large relief model of the However, once the master die has been design prepared by the artist by employing hardened it can be used to make punches a special reducing machine which traces (or hubs) carrying a complete copy of the over the shape of the relief model and design as a positive image, which in turn transfers the design (at the actual size to be can be used to produce copies of the master used on the coin) to a reduction punch die, including dies which can have specific using a cutting tool. An important dates and mintmarks added. These advantage of this approach is that the derivative master dies can then be used to design, such as a portrait of the King, can make fully dated and mintmarked punches be precisely replicated at a variety of sizes (or hubs) for the production of many for different coins (e.g. threepence to working dies for striking coins. This crown). Furthermore, this method also cascade of tool production, all derived allows the relief to be altered, if necessary. from the same master die and carrying the For example, the relief used in the artist’s same design, allows a nearly unlimited original model often needs to be reduced number of coins of identical design to be for striking coins. The resulting reduction produced over many years. punch provides a positive image of the Before proceeding to a detailed main design feature for the coin at the description of the development of dies for correct size and relief, and once hardened the George V bronze coinage, it is useful to is used to transfer this design to a master discuss several items which were well die (negative image). Lettering for the known to those at the Royal Mint but are legend of the coin, mintmarks and other passed over in the records without features can then be added to the design by comment. For example, the firms hand using individual punches, and border Huntsman and Bohler are both mentioned beading added. These features including with reference to punches, with Huntsman the number of beads and their position clearly referring to Huntsman’s crucible relative to the design and legend, while steel (invented by Benjamin Huntsman in seeming to be minor details, are especially 1756) widely used in die making, and important to the numismatist, since they Bohler presumably referring to steel from 44 JNAA 20, 2009(2010) Master dies and tools from the Royal Mint for Australian pennies and halfpennies of George V the firm of Albert and Emil Böhler in penny and the halfpenny were directly Vienna. The importance of table is a engraved by hand into die steel using recurring feature in mint records in the cutting tools with individual punches for context of developing master dies and lettering and other devices. Engraving tooling. Here, table refers to the surface of Department records for this at the Royal the die, which corresponds to the field of a Mint clearly show the halfpenny reverse coin and is normally slightly convex, master die (or matrix) to have been ideally tapering by about 0.005 inch per prepared first with the notation ‘Designed inch of diameter.7 This plays an important and engraved 17-9-1910 (WHJB)’ and the role in controlling the flow of metal during penny reverse ‘Designed and engraved the striking of coins, and there is 4-10-1910 (WHJB)’. The initials are considerable art in getting the convexity of clearly those of William Henry James the table just right. Also, as might be Blakemore, for whom an excellent short expected in an informal notebook that was biography by T. Vincent Verheyen has never intended to be an official record or recently appeared.11 It is significant (and report, entries in the Engraving somewhat unusual) that both the design and Department records are often somewhat engraving has been directly attributed to cryptic, and gaps and omissions frequently him in the records, since as a general occur. For example, in some cases tools are rule Royal Mint engravers operated listed but no dates are given, making it anonymously. necessary to place these in sequence but Mint records show that the letter without an assigned date, and it is likely punches Blakemore employed for the that some items were never recorded. It is halfpenny reverse die were the same as those also possible that other notebooks were used in producing master die legends for used for entries but that these either no some of the coinage of Queen Victoria. For longer exist or are unavailable. Finally, as example, the lettering used for ONE HALF work increasingly shifted to the Melbourne PENNY is the same as that used on the Mint in Australia during the 1920s, entries reverse of the ‘old head’ half crown, and for become sparser as the Royal Mint in COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA, London performed only a distant the same as that on the obverse of the gold supporting role. For this part of the story, a two pound piece. For the penny, letter series of articles based on Australian mint punches for ONE PENNY were specially records by John Sharples in this journal is made by the firm of Walbank, while the highly recommended.8–10 lettering for COMMONWEALTH OF Unlike the case for the later pre- AUSTRALIA is from the obverse of the decimal bronze coinage of Australia, gold five pound piece of Queen Victoria. An reverse dies for George V coins were ordinary coining table (surface curvature) prepared well in advance of those for the was used for the die. obverse. Perhaps this is because, instead of The original obverse master dies for being prepared using a design based on a the Australian bronze were not prepared large artist’s model transferred by a until early 1911. Here, the portrait on the reducing machine, reverse dies for the penny obverse was first produced from JNAA 20, 2009(2010) 45 Paul M Holland Model A (a large relief model of George V In the Tables that follow, information with crown by Sir Edgar Bertram on halfpennies is listed beginning with the Mackennal) on 17 March using a reducing date of the die or tool (where known) along machine in normal relief.