Lot 2233
(1795) Washington North Wales Halfpenny in Copper with Plain Edge and Double Stars Breen-1298 Baker-35. PCGS graded Fine-15. Glossy dark steel brown and chocolate. The surfaces are smooth, void of any suggestion of corrosion or verdigris. The only marks are a faint hairline from the eyebrow to the I in GEORGEIVS (which was purposely misspelled in the "evasion halfpence" tradition) plus a few scattered ticks of absolutely no consequence. The obverse die is heavily worn in this marriage and severely broken at the top indicating the double stars version was struck after the more common type with the single star (cinquefoil) reverse. The double stars reverse die is unbroken and has sharper details throughout. The NORTH WALES legend is easily readable, but parts of the harp are weakly struck, as usual. The double stars (cinquefoils) on both sides of the base of the harp are strong. This is a very nice example of one of the rarest Washington colonial coppers with 11 examples known in copper and brass combined (some researchers suggest the total is less than 10), and all are in relatively low grade. This is a rare opportunity to obtain a real prize for an advanced cabinet, and this one comes with the famous Norweb provenance (which is noted on the PCGS label). Weight listed as 111.7 grains in the Norweb catalog.
Estimated Value $10,000-UP.
Ex Norweb Collection, Stack's 11/7/06:2044 (where it realized $18,400).
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| Realized $12,650 |
