Lot 68
"1747" Machin's Mills Copper Halfpenny. SEGS graded VF-30 "*" holder, "Uniform Corrosion". Dark brown in color with corrosion over the obverse and reverse, but even enough in color and not as distracting as it might sound. Well struck by the dies, with the date and devices all bold. One of the first of the Machin's Mills coins, this one has King George II on the obverse (facing left), while later issues show King George III facing right.
This is one of the scarce Mould-Atlee "Tory Coppers" produced at Mould's Mint located at 32 Williams Street, New York City. They have been punch linked to Walter Mould and thus to the Constellatio Nova coppers. Mould was a pupil of Thomas Wyon, the famous British coiner, and Mould emigrated to America in 1785. After Mould arrived in America, he pieced together a living coining imitation British halfpence (the "Bungtown coppers" or more recently "Tory coppers"). Although there were no legal penalties for making these light weight coppers, Mould likely kept his enterprise a secret, as he was trying to land more lucrative and legitimate work of making coins for various states in the Confederation.
Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,500.
From the Paul Arthur Norris Collection.
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| Realized $776 |
