1897 marked the first year where five cent pieces of the Straits Settlements were struck at both the Royal mint in London
and the Heaton mint in Birmingham. While the combined striking by both the Royal and Heaton
mints allowed for lower relative
mintages
for both pieces compared to surrounding years, the Heaton mint piece isn't particularly scarce with examples available
right up to
mint state
grades.
Coins struck at the Heaton mint can be differentiated by the presence of a H
mintmark
under the bust of Queen Victoria.
H mintmark on the Heaton Mint Five Cent
No mintmark on five cent pieces struck at the Royal Mint
Date set collectors should not have too much difficulty sourcing an 1897-H Five Cent though some patience will be required
if a higher
mint state
graded piece is desired, particularly if good eye appeal is required with the number of certified examples in
mint state
being too low to accommodate choice with just 3 certified by PCGS in
mint state.
(PCGS, 2017)
Find out what dealers are paying with a subscription.
