CoinTalk Members Discuss an 1843 Three Halfpence and Share Their Smallest Coins

This article summarizes posts in a CoinTalk forum thread titled "My smallest world coin- 1843, 1 1/2 Pence. Comments?" The source does not give a posting date. Everything below is what forum members said or claimed; GNJ has not verified it.

The 1843 Three Halfpence

The thread starter, SensibleSal66, wrote that the coin was a gift from a friend. The thread title calls it a 1 1/2 pence, while the post itself says "1 1/4 pence." SensibleSal66 shared it as the smallest North American coin in that collection and asked others to post theirs.

Another member, lordmarcovan, replied that it is not a North American coin. Lordmarcovan wrote that these coins are cataloged under Great Britain and were struck by the British for use in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), and gave the type as Numista-13826. A member named paddyman98 said the same coin was in their own collection and that it is from Great Britain.

TheGame added that the three halfpence was also used quite a bit in the British Caribbean, but said it is generally considered an issue of the UK proper. TheGame also posted a coin dated 1834.

Members' Smallest Coins

Members then posted the smallest coins in their own collections:

- TheGame: a Panama coin the member called a "pill," a little smaller at 10mm. - lordmarcovan: a 9mm electrum hekte from Phokaia in Ionia, Greece, dated to about 478-387 BC, described as also the oldest in that collection. - panzerman: a piece from Etruria, unknown city state, which the member wrote as "AV Ass," 4th century BC, listed at .02g and 2.4mm. The post says two are known, one found in 1743 and the other in the 19th century. - PaddyB: a Mysore fanam from about 1760, measuring 6mm across.

Tall Paul wrote of owning 20 California Pioneer Fractional coins, almost all from period one (1852-1856). The member said a copy of the Breen and Gillio book cost $225 and was worth the price. The member also wondered how such small coins were used in commerce.

The Mysore Fanam Exchange

Replying to PaddyB, panzerman wrote that the Mysore Haidar Ali elephant fanams are "FAKE" and that the only true elephant fanams are from the Western Gangas. Lordmarcovan replied that in their view panzerman meant the pieces are modern fantasies, not fake gold.

Panzerman recommended the Hans Herrli book on Indian states for weeding out modern workshop fakes. Panzerman described being at an Ottawa CNA show at age 12 with their father. One dealer had a trunkload; they bought 18 fanams, and all were brass. These are panzerman's own views and account.

Small British Coins

The Half Dime wrote of liking low-denomination British coins, including an 1866 1/3 farthing in that collection and the quarter farthings used in Malta. PaddyB wrote that after more than 20 years the collection has examples of every date of the quarter, third and half farthings and of the three halfpences, and showed an 1839 quarter farthing.

Source: CoinTalk, "My smallest world coin- 1843, 1 1/2 Pence. Comments?"