Today, the featured item on our online shop is this scarce, bronze 1862 Nova Scotia One Cent - Key Date, a very good example with a few minor marks and rim nicks. The scarcity of the 1862 Nova Scotia one cent has puzzled numismatists for years but a likely explanation is that the mintages for 1861 and 1862 were combined, so many of the cents struck in 1862 were from dies dated 1861.
The one cent was minted with the same diameter as the British halfpenny and featured a similar obverse. The reverse designs are close to the pattern used for the half cent, emblazoned with the royal crown surrounded by a decorative wreath of both roses and mayflowers (the provincial flower of Nova Scotia). However, the reverse for the 1861-1864 features some slight variation from the first reverse's design. The headband of the crown is less detailed and narrow, while the rose bud on the lower right side is smaller. In addition, certain other parts of the design are nearer to the raised line just below the denticle rim and the lettering.
The obverse and reverse of the 1862 Nova Scotia one cent was designed by British engraver, Leonard Charles Wyon, most notable for his work on coinage recognizing Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1887 as well as the bronze coinage of 1860 with Queen Victoria's second "bun" head portrait, in use from 1860 to 1894.
