Confused about die mark for this coin

Can you clarify what is meant by there being two variants of the die mark position despite there only being one thing to tick below rather than one that says with AA die and then No die mark.

Thanks in advance

It would help if we knew what coin.

Just because there are tiny die differences mentioned doesn't mean there need to be different year lines (many miniscule sub variants can be indicated by private or public comments). Unfortunately what get's a year line and what not varies widely in the catalog).

Sounds like IOM Pobjoy Mint coin which usually has year line for Die letters.

Hello, yes, Gibraltar and Isle of Man have the coins with different die marks and sometimes also with different variants of the same die mark.

Usually, each yearline have the die mark AA, frequently also AB, AC, AD etc.. Diamond Finish verison (Proof-like or sometimes Proof) were minted usually with die marks BB, BC, BD etc. Precious metals coins with one letter: silver D, E, F; gold with G or A; platinum with B). There are of course some exceptions and special letters used too (like HH). In the later period there was much less regularity and consistency in choosing the die mark.

All known cases of these die marks have their separate yearline in Numista. We have also some yearlines created for significant differences within the one die mark (like high and low position of AA in 1991 2p N#7339 ). This coin has also some further variation for the low position AA, some are closer to rim, some are with AA close and A A spaced. Very subtele differences. 

I think the record is held by 50p 1997 small diameter N#1371. After the change of the diameter there was a need to millions small size 50p to replace the old ones with bigger diameter. All these coins were made with AA die mark but Mark Southal, author of the very good catalogue “Coins of the Isle of Man" he indicates (and showns on photos) 31 different variants (with lefting the space for more discoveries in future). These AA letters are slightly different by size, position versus each other and position vs the main design of the coin.

For me, there is no sense to create the separate yearline for small differences in die marks, like visible on the photo number 4 in this book (guide of IOM Christmas 50p with almost all existing variants → I wrote almost becasue couple weeks ago I discovered the one not mentioned in this book):  www.ebay.co.uk/itm/175941768847

The photo number 4 says there are three different versions of die mark BB (Diamond Finish = Prooflike version).  The difference is subtele, so 95% of collectors or even more don't care about and I guess no sense to create separate yearlines for BB1, BB2, BB3. Better just to add the comment that 3 different varietes exists. I add the examples with description of variants if I have two different. But also not a lot of cases in my collection. Remaining 5% of users who care about, can - same as me - add the details in the private/public comment when adding the second or third variant to the same yearline.

Hope this helps :)

PS. I started to add the comment “2 variants exists", “3 variants exists” to some of the coins but long time needed to make this done complete (or I'm afraid that this can be never compleded as from time to time new discoveries are found).

MMowiec

Hello, yes, Gibraltar and Isle of Man have the coins with different die marks and sometimes also with different variants of the same die mark.

“Die marks” is a commonly used term for the Pobjoy letters, but it isn't accurate. Since variants exist the marks don't identify a die. Privy marks is a better term (but I'm open to other terminology).

At the beginning there were the real die marks… later, hm, it's complicated. Pobjoy use frequently also term “die letters” if I corectly remember. 

Thanks for the update. Yeah that makes sense.

It was a pobjoy ploy to sell more coins, offering different die letters. In my opinion it was a scam 

Offa

It was a pobjoy ploy to sell more coins, offering different die letters. In my opinion it was a scam 

I guess it's not the case, most of these coins with die mark variants are issued for circulation and were avaliable for face value at the time.