New Year Token - Souvenir Royal Cake (Type of Sovereign of Victoria 1893-1901) ND

Reverse

Nude St.George as on gold sovereign.

Edge

Plain

Comment

This is a special New year token. It is used in tradition to bake a coin in a cake during New year holidays. It has gold color and images similar to a gold sovereign - the common gold coin in Cyprus.


The differences from the sovereign http://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces4024.html are made on purpose, to help people distinguish the token from a coin easy. For example grammar mistake (ΒΑΣΙΛΟΠΗΤΑΣ instead of ΒΑΣΙΛΟΠΙΤΑΣ), the wrong alignment (↑↓ instead of ↑↑) and the word ENΘΥΜΙΟN - souvenir indicate that this is not the coin.

Varieties may be gathered in 2 main groups.

Obverse
Die 1 - small script, the first letter is round Є.
Die 2 - large wide script, the first letter is straight E. The last letter Σ is on the veil of portrait.


Reverse
Die A - top of each dent is slanted clockwise in comparison to its base on the edge.
Die B - top of each dent is slanted counterclockwise in comparison to its base on the edge.


Combinations
1. 1+A (on the photos, mass 6.07 g, ↑→).
2. 2+B (on the photos, mass 5.73 g, ↑→). The token on photos shows in addition the re-engraving of the legend on Obverse from the die 1, being the previous legend partly visible. Some letters of the previous inscription are marked by arrows. The style of the Reverse is degenerated in general.