During the Commonwealth period it was common practice to change the date on reverse dies to prolong the life of the die. An example of this practice is shown where a 1649 shilling has been altered to a 1651 shilling.
It was not unknown for some reverse dies to undergo this process twice, so for example a 1649 die might have been initially altered to 1651 and then subsequently to 1652. These alterations are sometimes tougher to spot but do exist
This practice was not limited to the lower denominations or just hammered coins as will be seen in the following examples......
Silver Crown, 1652/1 and a Silver Halfcrown, 1653/2
Silver Sixpence, 1654/3 and a Silver Halfcrown, 1655/4
Silver Shilling, 1656/5 and a Silver Sixpence, 1657/6
