Lot 394
1798 S-170 R3 Small 8, Style II Hair G4. Struck over Lettered Edge Token from the British East India Company. Rather glossy dark steel brown and chocolate. The surfaces are decent but not perfectly smooth as a glass reveals microscopic roughness in the fields. No verdigris, just minor marks consistent with the grade. A light rim bruise under the lowest curl is a good identifying mark. Basically just well worn. Inexplicably struck over a coin issued by the British East India Company. The edge is lettered "ENGLISH UNITED EAST INDIA COMPANY" and the edge lettering is strong. There is no identifiable undertype, although the low grade and imperfect surfaces would make identifying any undertype difficult at best. Most likely this was a planchet manufactured by Matthew Boulton for a 1797 1/48 rupee copper made for the British East India Company at the Soho Mint (Birmingham, England). And it appears that planchet (or possibly a struck 1/48 rupee coin) got inadvertently mixed in with a shipment of planchets from Matthew Boulton of Birmingham, England, to the US Mint. After all, Boulton supplied about two-thirds of all the large cent planchets we used from 1797 to 1837 while also preparing planchets for British mints. Even today, with all the production controls at the US Mint, we sometimes encounter modern pieces struck on planchets intended for something quite different. The 1797 1/48 rupee coppers were 31.0 millimeters in diameter with a weight of 205-206 grains, and this 1798 large cent measures 31.26 millimeters and weighs 204.0 grains (remember, the large cent standard was 28.0 mm and 168.0 grains). This piece appears to be unique, and its significance from an historical perspective is certainly significant. Removed from a PCGS slab graded G4. The PCGS label is included, and it mentions that the cent is "Struck on Great Britain East India Co. Token". Our grade is consistent with the slab grade.
Estimated Value $1,000-UP.
Ex Robert Reithe (Main Line Coin & Stamp)-Richard Gross-Dave Wnuck-Chris McCawley.
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| Realized $7,188 |
