Lot 261
1787 Machin's Mills Halfpenny Vlack 25-87C Rarity-8 F15. Slightly glossy medium chocolate and olive brown. The planchet is mostly smooth but a glass reveals microscopic granularity in the fields and protected areas while the devices are smooth. No verdigris, only a few trivial contact marks. A fine pin scratch across the leg of the seated figure and a minor rim bruise over the E in GEORGIVS are the only notable marks. The reverse was struck from a badly worn die so the details on that side are considerably weaker than those on the obverse, but if you use some imagination you can make out the 87 of the date. Both this and the discovery coin have a very bold die crack on the obverse suggesting this die suffered a catastrophic failure quickly, possibly on the first strike. This piece is from a slightly later die state than the discovery coin as there is a small cud break at the upper end of the crack above the I. This new variety was discovered early in 2012 and reported through the newsletter of the Colonial Coin Collector's Club (C-4). No additional examples have been found since that announcement--until now. The example offered here has slightly more wear than the discovery coin but the surfaces on this piece are clearly superior. A very important opportunity for the advanced collector of the coppers struck in Colonial America. Estimate Value $3,000 - UP
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| Realized $21,150 |
