Lot 2306
Great Britain. Copper "Dump" Halfpenny, 1717. George I. S-3659. P-768. The famous first issue, the king facing right looking like a young "emperor." Stops on obverse. Coppers remained a tentative coinage for the Crown at this time in history, made to satisfy growing merchant needs but still regarded as less than regal in importance as they contained no "precious metal." As they were of low value, and fairly crude in manufacture compared to silver and gold coins, they also came under the spyglass of counterfeiters and within a few decades of when this coin was made counterfeiting of halfpennies would become a serious problem, ending when the government finally called upon the Soho Mint to produce newly styled and minted coppers that would defy copying. That would occur near the end of the reign of George III. At the beginning of the reign of the first George, however, when this coin was minted, coppers were crude things. Today's collectors find great charm in these pieces, and survivors are few that retain anywhere near the original look or amount of metal or sharpness of the design as it was intended to be seen. The Cheshire collector feels that this piece was specially struck, could have been a presentation piece kept aside for mint inspection; he thinks it is the finest extant non-Proof 1717 halfpenny. It enjoys an exceptionally sharp strike and a "balanced" look, nicely centered with good rims. Lovely dark-chocolate surfaces with glossy brown luster. Classic, bifurcated letters in the legends. Evidence of the difficulty the Royal Mint had with copper blanks may be glimpsed along the left side of the reverse rim. Ex Nicholson (a famous assemblage of 18th-century halfpennies, recently disbursed), and an important coin. NGC graded MS-63 Brown.
Estimated Value $1,600 - 1,800.
The Cheshire Collection.
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| Realized $1,840 |
