The Royal Mint struck for circulation 320,000 pieces in May and June of this year, using an unrecorded number of dies with only 11 varieties seen [excluding proofs], consisting of 10 obverse dies paired with 5 reverse dies. On this Volume II is posted variety JC-20 as follow:

For many years, as far back as 1899, has been published in numerous books and magazines a specific minting figure for 1862 accordingly to an order from the authorities in Jamaica of £1,600 of the little coin, equivalent to 256,000 pieces. To find this new information, really I was surprised, but not quite. To further explain, I describe my hypothesis.

With a mintage figure lower than 260,000 pieces for that year, according to the old reports, is something very odd, since is kind of small compared with the number of dies known used for its minting, being this the probably explanation for a larger production.

My hypothesis was prove right when I received a letter dated October 2011, from the Assistant Curator of The Royal Mint Museum, clarifying the minting figure for  1862. The 319,774 pieces coined, which appear in Parliamentary records have been computed from the actual weight of coins struck and not from a count of the number of pieces.

The error figure of 256,000 for 1862, published in Pridmore’s book, is based upon the £1,600 of three-halfpences recorded as being ordered for Jamaica. The Royal Mint records are clear, however, that a total of £2,000 was issued to the Commercial Bank in May and June 1862.

Despite the stringency with which the records were keep by the comptroller of the Royal Mint at the time, this error go unnoticed for more than 110 years! The destiny of the astonishing figure of 64,000 pieces unaccounted for, still a mystery, perhaps, were simply melted as silver bullion or were ever sent to the colonies of the West Indies? So far, has not emerged any info that proves otherwise, leaving the path open for a separate study.