Ireland. 1782 circulating counterfeit halfpenny. About Uncirculated. 122.7 grains. Medium golden brown with a good bit of remaining lustre in the fields on both sides. Engraved in fairly convincing style but for the fish-faced rendition of King George. Some light marks, vertical striation in right obverse field manifests as a faint line of toning in hand, patina a bit thin on reverse high points. This would make a great association item in a collection that contains one of the many Vermont coppers struck over 1782 counterfeit Irish halfpence, or just as a high grade example of a type often seen in American pockets...Sold
Spain. 1778 two reales or head pistareen. Seville mint. Extremely Fine. Nice silver gray with light golden toning and a good deal of underlying lustre remaining, particularly on the reverse. Some light hairlines are noted, but no major problems. This type is tougher to find than the cross pistareens that preceded it, but this type also saw common usage in early America. This Revolutionary War date example would more than adequately illustrate this important issue in a collection focusing on the coinage of early America...$375
Ireland. 1776 circulating counterfeit halfpenny. Choice Very Fine. 119.8 grains. A beautiful example of this distinctive variety, with glossy and problem-free dark chocolate brown surfaces. Bold denticles frame the base of the reverse, somewhat softly struck above IBE of HIBERNIA. I've seen other specimens from this die marriage around, but have never handled one this nice. Counterfeit Irish halfpence saw plentiful circulation in early America, indeed, one need look no further than the undertypes of Vermont coppers (particularly Ryder-18, Ryder-25, and Ryder-28) for proof. This date is, of course, of special interest to American collectors, but it is also the most elusive date among genuine specimens of this design type. This is a particularly pretty example...$525
Netherlands. West Friesland. 1643 Lion half dollar. About Uncirculated. Light golden toning is present on both sides, with flashy lustre seen in the obverse fields and more muted frost on the reverse. A crude production, slightly double struck on a planchet that shows natural flaws above 9:00 on the obverse rim. The legends are complete and the devices are fairly bold. Some hairlines are noted on the obverse. circular dig above O at 6:00 on obverse, some planchet texture apparent in soft spots of obverse. As tough as it is to find a high grade Lion dollar, the Lion half dollar is dozens of times more difficult in high grade. Their strikes and planchets tend to be far cruder than their larger siblings, and most saw significant wear. Not that population reports are the end-all arbiter of rarity, but it is telling that PCGS has never certified a Mint State Lion half dollar. I've owned a Lion half dollar with better surfaces and technical grade than this, but its strike wasn't even close to this nice...$1,250
Netherlands, Gelderland. 1643 Lion dollar. About Uncirculated. Beautiful old toning in concentric circles of pale blue, faded peach, gold, and light olive covers both sides, with abundant remaining lustre in the fields. Soundly struck with full peripheral legends and ideal centering on both sides, with some expected softness on central devices. A really good looking Lion dollar, from the same collection as a few other nicely toned Lion dollars I've offered in inventory recently. Some hairlines are seen under scrutiny, short old scratch under E of MOVETVR, a few other light marks on the obverse. This beautifully illustrates the Lion dollar design type, struck during the heyday of the Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam...Hold
Fully Lustrous & Boldly Toned Mint State Lion Dollar
Netherlands, West Friesland. 1670 Lion dollar. MS-61 (PCGS). Bright and frosty lustre perks from both sides, brilliant at centers with lively peripheral tones of gold and bright blue. This piece is not just Mint State, but quite close to as struck, though it displays one of the primary pitfalls of this crudely struck trade coin: an abysmal strike. A good bit of the original planchet texture is seen at the center of both sides, giving the centers a granular appearance, though the peripheral legends and date are complete and bold. Think of a Lion dollar's quality in terms of four characteristics: wear, strike, color, and surface quality. A nice Lion dollar will be better than average in two of these qualities, an exceptional one will get a check mark in three of them. Lion dollars with all four of these aspects are so rare as to essentially not exist, but for some special strikes on heavyweight planchets. This piece gets a gold star for wear, color, and surface quality, with no evidence of the cleaning or corrosion that plagues this type. I've spilled plenty of ink over how important Lion dollars are in the story of early American money -- there are only two other issues (the pistareen and the Spanish milled dollar) that are mentioned by name on early American paper money. Certified Mint State examples are significant rarities, and most are not as eye-appealing as this one. PCGS has certified a sum total of 15 Lion dollars from all Dutch provinces in grades of MS-60 or finer...Hold
France. 1693 A half ecu. Paris Mint. Overstuck on earlier type. AU-50 (NGC). Superb deep gray toning yields highlights of pastel blue and gold on the lustrous surfaces. A reformation or overstruck, part of the French program of inflating their currency by lowering the standard weights of their coins, recalling previously struck specimens, bringing them down to weight, and striking overtop them. Abundant evidence of the undertype may be seen. Barely worn and choicer than the grade would indicate. A half ecu of the same type as the undercoin here was among the known finds in the ca. 1704 Castine Deposit. This would have seen ready circulation anywhere in North America in the 18th century...$350
Brazil. 1752 6400 reis or half Joe. Rio mint. AU-50 (PCGS Secure). Rich yellow gold with good lustre and eye appeal. No significant problems, just some minor hairlines from circulation. The original edge device appears to be intact; someday perhaps I will convince PCGS to put the weight of half Joes on their holder. This one looks to be full weight. Anything over nine pennyweights (216 grains) would have made this worth $8 in post-Revolutionary America; before the mid 1770s, the weight standard ranged from nine pennyweights to nine pennyweights, five grains. More common than even Spanish or English gold in early America, this is a type that is as basic to an early American collection as a Pillar dollar or an English halfpenny. There can be no doubt that this exact date, mint, and type circulated in early America...$2,250
Ireland. 1782 halfpenny. George III. MS-63 BN (PCGS Secure). Frosty light golden brown with hints of mint color and deep olive on the reverse. Attractive and well-struck, just a little soft atop the reverse. This type saw active American circulation both as a genuine issue and as a counterfeit; examples of counterfeit Irish halfpence of this type turned up by the thousands on the 1785 wreck of the Faithful Steward and as planchets for plenty of Vermont Ryder-28s. This piece would look right at home among a collection of high grade pre-Federal copper...$475
Mexico. 1763 MF eight reales or "Pillar dollar." Mexico City Mint. EF-45 (PCGS Secure). A choice example of the "Spanish milled dollar" upon which our monetary system is built. Richly original with nice light gray surfaces and deepening dark gray toning at peripheries. Problem free, a fine choice for picky collectors (you know who you are). Struck the year of the Treaty of Paris ending the French and Indian War, this would be a perfect choice for type set of historical U.S. coins. If you collect colonial coins and don't own a Pillar dollar, why not?...Sold
France. 1788 A half ecu. Paris Mint. Louis XVI. AU-58 (NGC). Abundant frosty lustre persists on deep gray surfaces, enlivened with slate blue and hints of gold. A beautiful, original coin, showing remarkable cartwheel and amazingly choice eye appeal. Two little low spots are hidden in the truncation of the bust above DuVivier's signature, the same DuVivier who accomplished several Comitia Americana medals; Augustin Dupre was his assistant. Only some extremely shallow evidence of adjustment marks is seen at central reverse. Positively beautiful, acquired from a collection that had been off the market in the neighborhood of fifty years. French silver coins like this one saw currency in early America; French ecus provided the silver stock for the 1794 half dollars, for instance. This one was struck while Jefferson was in Paris; he returned in the fall of 1789 to assume control of the US Mint, among other functions, as Secretary of State...$675
France. 1785-K ecu of Louis XVI. Bayonne mint. AU-53 (PCGS). A simply beautiful example with full frosty cartwheel lustre and only the lightest hint of wear. The obverse is delicately toned in gold with hints of violet and blue at the peripheries, while the reverse is framed with pastel blue around a silver-gold center. Well centered and well struck, natural rim irregularity atop obverse, no flaws beyond the most minor scattered hairlines. I'm fond of this type for two reasons: first, 1794 half dollars were coined from a deposit of French ecus, making this relevant to early Federal coinage enthusiasts; second, this ecu was struck during Jefferson's first full year as minister plenipotentiary to France. French ecus (or "crowns," as they were often called) were encountered regularly in early America, particularly in areas that saw a great deal of trade with French possessions of the West Indies. This nicely toned, high grade piece would ideally represent this historic type...Sold
1801 contemporary imitation two reales. Kleeberg 01A-M7. HE monogram mintmark in imitation of Lima. TH assayer. R denomination. Brass. Very Fine or better. An unusually nice example of one of the more common circulating counterfeit two reales, a denomination that circulated widely in early America and was widely counterfeited in North America as well. Nice glossy brassy gold with some deeper toning, about as much sharpness as when struck, with the fine laurel still visible in Carlos' hair. No scratches or damage as often seen, central reverse well struck, a far nicer piece than typically encountered on this issue. The mintmark is a bad imitation of the LIMAE monogram for Lima, the assayer is one used on Mexico City issues of Carlos IV from 1804, and the R denomination is missing the "2" that goes before it. As Kleeberg points out in his ANS COAC paper on counterfeit two reales, a mismatched mintmark-assayer error on a counterfeit can only happen in a place where coins of both mints circulate side by side. The Ringo sale and a few other specialized collections have helped draw attention to this fascinating series, one whose prices resemble that of colonial coins a few decades ago...Sold
A.J. WILLIAMS on 1774 JR Potosi four reales. Brunk-unlisted. Choice Fine. While one reales and two reales are often seen with merchant countermarks from the United States, four reales are almost never encountered, making this a rather unusual piece. A.J. Williams is unlisted by Brunk and is fairly tough to pin down. The previous owner of this piece suggested Abijah Jewel Williams, an upstate New York manufacturer whose businesses thrived in the 1840s. The name and mark has every indication of being American, making this coin a rare four reales that can actually be placed in American circulation. The typical wisdom is that large numbers of early half dollars were struck because four reales were not common (or the converse). The piece shows beautiful light opalescent gray toning on silvery surfaces, just a few marks under Carlos' chin, and excellent overall eye appeal...$295
Costa Rica. 1846 two reales countermark on ca. 1750 Lima 2 reales cob. Fine or so. A crude mark on a century-old cob, an evocative reminder of the long-term circulation of small silver coins in this era. The obverse mark is fairly complete, with the tree and 2R denomination bold, along with most of COSTA RICA. The reverse, struck on the convex side of the cob, is well worn but the sunburst is still visible. Medium gray with pleasing, original surfaces, A handsome little piece...Sold
Choice High Grade "Re-Castainginated" 1776 Half Joe
Brazil. 1776 half Joe or 6400 reis. Bahia mint. 178.1 grains / 7 dwt, 10 grains. Choice About Uncirculated. A fairly scarce date in the half Joe series, with additional interest from American collectors for its "magic" date. Nearly full cartwheel lustre remains on bright yellow surfaces. Frosty and attractive, well struck, a shallow batch of parallel adjustment marks noted across the king's forehead, single adjustment line noted at throat to G of ALG on obverse, some minor hairlines. Boldly clipped to the tops of the legends then neatly "re-castainginated" in professional fashion, likely clipped and re-edged by one of the many factory clipping operations then operating in America, England, and the West Indies. The current weight of seven pennyweights, 10 grains places this piece significantly below the typical post-Revolutionary American weight standard of nine pennyweights (216 grains) but closer to several West Indian standards. This is about a half pennyweight under the typical ca. 1800 West Indian standard of eight pennyweights, and it clearly has not lost any weight since its fraudulent edge was applied. It is unusual to find such a high grade piece fraudulently clipped/regulated like this. This coin brilliantly and attractively displays the kinds of games that were being played by factory-style clipping operations in the 1790s, just the sort of activity that regulation was meant to cure. Most coins like this were melted and turned into new gold coins, including at the US Mint in Philadelphia. This one is a particularly well-preserved survivor...$2695
1793 contemporary counterfeit two reales. Kleeberg 93A-L6, the "Liberace Head." Lima mintmark, IJ assayer. Copper, likely overstruck. Fine or better. A pleasing and attractive example of this rare and crude circulating counterfeit two reales. Kleeberg knew of just three examples of this variety, the two in the Ringo collection (including this one) and one at the ANS. The first time a specimen of this variety sold at auction, in the June 2007 Coin Galleries auction, it brought $1,725. The two in Ringo are the only other specimens to ever sell publicly. All known specimens are struck in copper with notable, purposeful softness of the design. Ringo's primary piece and the 2007 CG specimen were both overstruck, and it's likely that the other known pieces are as well despite the lack of apparent undertype. This one is smooth chocolate brown with some trivial old scratches, including a light x-scratch in the right obverse field that probably was an attempt at counterfeit detection when this was still in pocket change. Some very subtle traces of silvering remain among the legends. Mike Ringo called this variety "the Liberace Head," which serves to highlight its charming crudity. Counterfeits like this were a prominent part of early American pocket change. Ex. Mike Ringo collection, Stack's June 2009 Schaumburg sale, Lot 82...$425
Curacao. (1818) three reaals. Pridmore-27. One fifth section of a Mexico portrait 8 reales Choice Very Fine. A finer than usual example of this cut issue from the Dutch West Indies, with a bold impressed mark on a pleasing medium gray cut section that retains the Mexico City mintmark. Some light toning is present inside the mark, and the piece boasts strong originality and eye appeal overall. A very popular cut, a fine and authentic way to show a "two bits," though this is one-fifth of a dollar rather than a quarter...$450
Mexico. 1767 M one real. Mexico City mint. Extremely Fine. Dark silver gray with deep navy blue highlights and some lighter toning at central reverse. Just a sharp, and original example of this workhorse denomination, one that is tough to find in high grades. PLU VTR is perfectly detailed on the pillars. If you planned to build a choice circulated set of Mexico pillars by denomination, this would be a great coin to start with and try to match for color and sharpness...$325
Guatemala. 1772 P two reales. Guatemala mint. Carlos III. Choice Very Good or better. An unusually choice example of the first portrait two reales of Guatemala, and one of just three dates (1772, 1773, and 1776) struck with the G mintmark before the capital was moved. The Calico plate coin is similar grade, maybe a little more worn, with a substantial reverse scratch. This piece is perfect for the grade, with deep ancient gray toning with attractive gold and deep olive highlights, particularly on the reverse. It would be interesting to collect the first year of every portrait issue from all the Spanish-American mints. If your goal is simpler, like to complete a collection of Spanish colonial two reales by mintmark, this coin is a prize...$275
Danish West Indies (US Virgin Islands). 1764 12 skillings. Silver, 21.5 mm. Very Fine. A very nice example of an underrated 18th century New World type. The surfaces are an ideal deep gray with subtle opalescent toning. A tiny little rim tick above X of REX on the reverse is the nitpicky flaw to note. Struck in 1764 (not decades later, as with the type dated 1767), this piece was produced for circulation in the Danish islands of St. Thomas, St. Kitts, and St. Jan that later became the US Virgin Islands. At least a few specimens made their was to North America, as Newman cites one dug in Williamsburg and a half-cut (bottom, if you were wondering) of a 1763 12 skillings was found by a metal detectorist in central Virginia. At just under three grams (2.93), this weighs about the same as a one real with a similar amount of wear -- those pieces that made it to the American colonies probably circulated at the same rate. Contemporary counterfeits of this type (and the larger 24 skillings) seem more common than real ones, and nice examples like this are a decided minority...$350
Netherlands, West Friesland. 1642 lion dollar. Choice Extremely Fine. From the same collection as the beautiful 1622 West Friesland lion dollar I sold earlier this year, this frosty piece shows very pretty golden toning in protected areas, otherwise a nice deep antique gray. Good lustre, ideal centering, and -- best of all -- an impressive strike define this piece, with the usually flat face of the standing knight much more detailed than usually seen. Did you know he has a mustache? A very handsome example of one of the major trade coins in 17th century America. Though most folks think of the Dutch Empire in North America being a pinpoint in Manhattan, it ranged from the Great Lakes, through the Hudson Valley, the Delaware Valley (Schuylkill is not an English word!), and the Chesapeake Bay. Examples have been found in New England archaeolgical contexts (as in the famed Castine Deposit) and are mentioned in legal documents through the Atlantic Seaboard. This piece, struck at the height of Dutch power in the future United States, would perfectly exemplify their place in American history...$575
Mexico. 1754 M two reales, Mexico City Mint. Extremely Fine. Navy blue and dark gray toning blends nicely, with some life left in the obverse fields and hints of gold all around. All legends and design elements are full, including PLUS VLTR on the pillars. Just a choice example of the type...$325
Spain. 1718 J two reales or pistareen. Segovia mint. Extremely Fine. Just a nice, attractive example of the denomination, with light multicolored toning and some lustre remaining on the reverse. Well struck and problem free...$275
England. 1662 Crown. Charles II. Fine. Plain edge. Pleasing light silver gray with subtle deepening gold at the peripheries and across the reverse. A richer prism of color frames the inside of the top obverse rim. Some scattered light hairlines are seen, normal circulation marks, a single spot low on Charles' locks. An attractive circulating example of the largest English silver coin current when Massachusetts was making Oak Tree shillings....$225
Beautifully Toned Choice AU 1757 Pillar Dollar
Mexico. 1757 MM eight reales. Mexico City mint. AU-55 (PCGS). Pale violet, electric blue, and faded peach tones blend intensely over highly lustrous light silver gray fields. Finely detailed, an ideal high grade example of the most famous coin of the colonial era. A low spot on the obverse rim near 8:00 is a bit softly struck, some fine hairlines are seen, and a little batch of lines is detected under a glass above the obverse crown. Pillar dollars get very, very expensive in Mint State (not to mention just plain rare), so high grade pieces like this are in strong demand among collectors. The brightness of the toning does not turn up very vibrantly in the photograph, but suffice it to say this is one very pretty example of the first coin listed in the Redbook...$1375
Mexico. 1739 MF two reales. Mexico City mint. Choice Very Fine. Just a nice early circulated Pillar two reales, with original medium gray color and pleasing surfaces. Early two reales of Philip V, who reigned until 1746, are somewhat tougher to find in high grade than pieces struck under Ferdinand VI and Carlos III, and those building sets by reign often focus on this date as the only early type Philip V Mexico two reales that isn't scarce or rare. Few small silver coins were more common in early American pockets than Pillar two reales like this one...$275
Guatemala. 1793 M two reales. Nueva Guatemala mint. About Uncirculated. Nice light silver gray with some faint golden and pale violet overtones and remnants of bright lustre around devices. Only very lightly worn, a good-looking two reales from this Central American mint. Some light hairlines are present, but they are neither harsh nor distracting. Guatemala is generally a pretty tough mint to acquire nice coins from, and this would be a good addition to a collection of Carlos IV two reales by mint...$535
Peru. 1792 IJ two reales. Lima mint. Extremely Fine. Light silver gray with hints of golden toning at peripheries. A three-year type with a somewhat crude local portrait of Carlos IV, struck in just 1791 through 1793, a little scarcer than the standard bust or "cabeza pequena." This coin is actually sharper than the Calico plate for the type, though it does show some old hairlines from a long-distant cleaning. Attractive, with handsome old toning, this is a good piece for the two reales collector who has decided to form a cabinet of all of the various portrait types from Spanish-American mints...$275
Mexico. 1761/0 M two reales. Mexico City mint. Overdate. Choice Extremely Fine. A good-looking example of this bold overdate, a known variety in the Carlos III pillar two reales series. Probably realistically AU, with traces of cartwheel lustre at the periphery and bold detail from centers to rims. While some hairlines are seen, the patina is lovely, with light blue at the date and around other devices, faint gold here and there, and deeper amber, violet, and gold at the reverse periphery. The overdate and die crack at the right of the date are clear even to the naked eye. Pillar two reales of Carlos III are found in plentiful numbers in American archaeological contexts and as hosts for American merchant contexts; there is no question that they circulated in massive numbers in early America. Wherever this one circulated, it didn't do it for long...$485
Superb Lion Dollar from Campen, 1652
Netherlands, Campen. 1652 lion dollar. Choice Extremely Fine or so. I recently acquired a small collection of lion dollars, a collection of one from each Dutch issuing municipality (the 1622 West Friesland piece below was from the same group). All of the pieces were nice grade and showed uncommonly attractive old cabinet toning, with this piece showing sedate olive-gray on the obverse and more lively blue, violet, and gold on the reverse. Though the centers are not well struck, typical of this crudely struck coinage, lustre remains in protected areas. Careful scrutiny reveals some old hairlines, not severe in the least, but no marks or other flaws of note. Campen is a city, not a province, and its output of lion dollars was necessarily much smaller than places like Holland or West Friesland. Anyone who has seen a decent number of lion dollars knows how scarce they are in general with this kind of color and surface...$625
Mexico. 1776 FM 2 reales. Mexico City Mint. Choice Very Fine. Nice original deep gray with some hints of deeper gray and gold. Just a nice choice circulated example of this classic date...$325
Ireland. 1694 halfpenny. William and Mary. KM-109. Choice Very Fine. It's very easy to get to Very Fine grading this coin, and understanding the surface quality and the soft central strike you can almost get to Extremely Fine. Nice choice glossy light chocolate brown surfaces dominate both sides. A tiny area of surface verdigris is present right of the crown atop the reverse. This is a tough type to find in nice grade, though low grade ones seem fairly commonplace. Like possums are born dead on the side of the road, these seem to be born in VG with corrosion. They've been found in North American soil, which shouldn't be surprising considering their close contextual relationship with Saint Patrick's pieces and the plenty of Irish immigrants to America in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. This would be a nice bridge from those Saint Patrick's pieces to the Wood's coinage a few decades later...$325
Mexico. 1774 MO 2 reales. Mexico City mint. AU-55 (NGC). Far nicer quality than normally encountered for this issue, even in similarly graded holders. Light golden toning covers reflective fields on both sides. While there is some light friction on devices, the fields are bright and lustrous. Some light hairlines are seen, minor scattered marks, interesting die crack spiders out from 2R on reverse. A good portion of AU-slabbed Portrait 2 reales are pretty well cleaned, or at least unnaturally bright. This one looks nice and would be a great type coin (and candidate for cracking out -- the picture does this coin little justice and it will look nicer out of the holder)...$425
Ireland. 1691 Limerick halfpenny. Spink-6494. Choice Very Fine. Ideal even smooth chocolate brown, exceptionally nice and attractive for one of these. No sign of undertype is noted. A little soft in the portrait, as is typical, but beyond its crude strike there are no post-striking issues. Coined for just a few months while the city was being besieged, this is one of the tougher Irish types of the era to find with nice strike and surfaces. It is generally collected alongside the Gunmoney series. Refugees from Limerick, Ireland went on to found Limerick, Pennsylvania, outside of Philadelphia. Plenty of Irish coppers of this vintage are found in American soil, brought with immigrants such as these...$375
England. 1687 halfcrown of William III. Engraved " S L / 17 79" on the reverse. Very Fine. A very nice looking piece, showing pleasant old original gray toning with rich pale blue and gold highlights on both sides. Handsomely engraved during the Revolutionary War, with cross-hatching on the SL and a light engraving scratch near the 9. This piece looks great for having circulated for a century, then engraved and carried a while longer. Clearly this was well taken care of...$265
Spain. 1809 AI four reales. Madrid Mint. Jose Napoleon. Choice Extremely Fine. Some lustre remains on slate gray surfaces, lightly toned with gold, more richly colored at reverse peripheries with gold and pale blue. A bit softly struck at centers, with a fatigued reverse die somewhat to blame, swollen most notably under the denomination R right of the shield. Some light hairlines are noted, but very attractive and natural in appearance. A scarce type, particularly so in high grade. Jose Napoleon, also known as Joseph-Napoleon Bonaparte, was Napoleon's older brother, who was made King of Spain following Napoleon's conquest. Joseph Bonaparte lived in the United States between 1817 and 1832, mostly in New York, New Jersey, and Philadelphia. His portrait appears on Spanish issues between 1808 and 1814. Though denominated as a 4 reales, this is the same size and value as a mainland 2 reales -- basically making this a head pistareen of Joseph Bonaparte. Rarely found nice and underappreciated, this type not only could have circulated in early America, but also depicts a man who resided in the United States for a decade and a half...$325
Netherlands, Holland. 1576 lion dollar. Extremely Fine. Even slate gray with nice eye appeal. Mostly sharp and mostly round, neither of which are givens on this crudely made world trade coinage. The central devices are well defined, most legends are legible, and 76 of the date is crisp. Some natural planchet pits may be seen in softly struck areas, not offensive in hand. The surface quality of this piece is finer than the vast majority of lion dollars in the marketplace, where cleaning and corrosion are the rule. An iconic type, commonly encountered throughout Atlantic America in the late 17th and early 18th century. While most associated with New York, where paper currency was denominated in lion dollars in 1709 and 1711, this crown-sized coin was also commonly encountered from New England to Maryland. This would be a very nice type coin for a collection with an early American focus...$475
Mexico. 1782 FF two reales. Mexico City Mint. Extremely Fine. Handsome and original pewter gray with light blue toning at peripheries. Softly struck at centers, but there is little actual wear and PLUS ULTRA are all but complete on the reverse pillars. A nice high grade two reales from the year after the Battle of Yorktown, a coin that boasts strong eye appeal...$225
Mexico. 1734 MF one real. Mexico City mint. Choice Very Fine. A very pretty early Pillar one real from Mexico City, with dark gray surfaces showing delicate toning and some liveliness. Some of PLV VLT is visible on the pillars. Just a nice and original looking piece, about the earliest pillar one real you can get without breaking the bank or settling for a filler...$275
Mexico. 1748/7 M one real. Mexico City mint. Overdate. Choice Extremely Fine. A good-looking Pillar real with a very bold overdate, a variety unlisted in the massive new Calico book. The photograph underestimates the brightness and appeal of the blue and golden toning at the right obverse rim, though the surfaces are otherwise attractive dusky golden gray. Some dirt, subtle central adjustment marks, good detail with complete PLU ULTR on the pillars. Overdates are also known on half reales, four reales, and eight reales; something tells me it probably exists on two reales too. A pillar like this would have been a welcome site anywhere in colonial America...$425
Guatemala. 1791-M two reales. NG (Nueva Guatemala) mint. Choice Very Fine. Nice dark old original gray with slightly lighter devices. Choice for the grade and very nice in hand, a fine type coin from the scarce Central American mint...$250
Mexico. 1751 M half real. Mexico City Mint. MS-63 (NGC). A beautiful little jewel, lustrous and reflective, with light blue and violet toning the flashy surfaces. Very sharp but tough to photograph, a genuinely beautiful little coin. A vertical toning streak is present between QU of VTRAQUE on the obverse, sharply struck, perfect for a high grade Pillar type set...$925
Netherlands. West Friesland. 1636 half lion dollar. Extremely Fine. Light silver gray with golden overtones and deeper mottled golden toning in central fields. Some hints of lustre remain, good sharp detail, only some minor softness at peripheries but very bold for this elusive type. Half lion dollars are multiple times rarer than lion dollars, though they circulated alongside their larger counterpart in the Low Counties and in early America. When this piece was struck, New York was 11 years old...$675
Great Britain. England. 1772 halfpenny. Choice Extremely Fine. Perfect dark chocolate brown, the color you wish all your copper coins were, with nice hard smooth surfaces. Some little marks, a hint of natural roughness at George's forehead from striking, Britannia's head softly struck as so often seen. Tougher than a few of the dates in this short series. This is a choice example that would ideally represent this foundational type, so common in early America...$250
Chile. 1802 IJ four reales. Santiago Mint. Very Fine. Ideal medium gray with violet undertones and other faint pleasing toning. Choice glossy surfaces, just a nice original coin with no problems and a little light dirt around the legends. Santiago four reales are tough to find without problems in any grade...$375
Peru. 1755 JM one real. Lima mint. EF-45 (PCGS). For whatever reason, one reales are the toughest of the Pillar denominations to find nice. Four reales are rarer in an absolute sense, but a more substantial proportion of them are nice EF or AU (very rarely Unc, or really even that close to it). Lima is likewise a little tougher than Mexico on this denomination. This example is light silver gray with some remaining lustre and some toning at the rims. The reverse in particular retains a good bit of flash. There are some hairlines from a light old cleaning, but the eye appeal is still positive. 1755 was an interesting year in North America, as the conflict between the French and English began full tilt with the arrival of significant European armies. Perhaps this Lima Pillar one real spent some of its life in North America. Surely some just like it did...$475
Mexico. 1749 M half real. Mexico City mint. EF-45 (PCGS). A lovely little Pillar half real, with delicate pale blue and gold tones over the dusky light gray surfaces (which my photography did not pick up, but the colors are there and they're very pretty). Problem free and good looking...$265
A Trio of Small Cobs, Together for the Last Century
Bolivia. Undated 1/2 real of Mexico, Felipe V, 1723 Potosi 1 real, and 1743 Potosi 2 reales. Fine or so. All three are nice coins, well worn but choice and showing fine old toning. While the coins are nice examples, the envelopes are perhaps even cooler -- pricing the two smallest coins at .50 each and the two reales at 1.25, with fine old ink-pen script describing the coins as "silver cob money." I'd date these envelopes to the last two decades of the 19th century. Absolutely charming. I think an old Andean curse accompanies these if you break them up, so please keep this neat little collection together!...$450
High Grade 1612/08 Lion Dollar
Netherlands, Utrecht. 1612/08 lion dollar. AU-55 (PCGS). Lustrous frosty golden-toned medium silver with bold detail from centers to rims. A remarkable Lion dollar (or Leeuwendaalder), not without its minor imperfections, but unusually sharp and so close to Mint State. Some light areas of shallow corrosion are seen near the rims, a condition common to these coins because of their high copper content, and there is some highly localized peripheral weakness here and there. The Leo Belgicus (that's the lion's name) is as sharp as ever seen, with just the most minor friction on the high points. A faint planchet crack affects both sides around 2:00 obverse, 3:00 reverse. The unusual 1612/08 overdate is easily seen with little to no magnification. This type richly deserves its place in the early American coinage canon, a point driven home by the presence of Lion dollars in the Castine Deposit (lost about 1704), the HMS Feversham (sank 1711), and other less famous finds. The 1709 New York currency was denominated in them, and by that point coins of this era, struck at the very beginnings of Dutch hegemony in the region, were well worn and much abused. A high grade piece like this makes a fine addition to any colonial coin collection...$695
Barbados. 1788 penny. Pridmore-14. Choice Extremely Fine. Rich glossy chocolate brown surfaces show attractive woodgrain toning, particularly on the obverse. Some minor marks, more on the reverse than obverse, but none are serious. Just a nice, lightly circulated example of this popular type. This variety was apparently struck in 1791 from dies by John Gregory Hancock, who also engraved the Washington Small Eagle and Large Eagle cents the same year. While lots of proof restrikes are around, pleasant high grade examples of the circulation issue are pretty tough to find. This one will suit someone nicely...$350
England. 1694 farthing. Charles II. Choice Very Fine. Rich, glossy chocolate brown with superb visual appeal. Softly struck at centers, but at least typical if not a little better for the issue. Problem free, some minor dirt within devices, area of toning at left side of reverse. Just a genuinely pretty example of a type that is frequently found in American soil -- I have ones in my collection from as far north as Massachusetts and as far south as Santee, South Carolina. Finding any example with this sort of color and surfaces usually requires patience. Right now, it just requires...$350
German States. Regensburg. (ca. 1750) 1/32 ducat. KM-356. Gold. Mint State. 1.7 grains. This will always, if I live to be 100, be the smallest thing I ever buy or sell. It makes a three cent silver look gigantic and a California fractional quarter look huge. It's ridiculously small. One side shows a two-headed eagle, the other the crossed-keys insignia of Regensburg with a tiny B beneath. Krause-Mishler puts this type circa 1750, while a more recent German auction sale I recently saw this type in called it circa 1773. For those intent on one-upping their coin friends in a game of superlatives, I think this one takes the cake for smallest every time. And it's old and Uncirculated, which is also pretty cool, not to mention about as cheap as I imagine a Mint State 18th century gold coin will ever be again...$325
Germany, Hesse-Cassel. 1776 thaler. KM-516, Dav-2303. Choice Very Fine or better. Light golden toning covers the pale silver surfaces, with light blue and darker gold at the rims among a hint of lustre. Obverse die buckled near forehead, some light hairlines under the pleasing toning. This is the so-called "Blood thaler," the once avidly collected crown contemporary to Hessian soldiers service with British regulars during the American Revolution. While the troops serving in America weren't paid in these coins, they were indeed produced by the government who leased its soldiers out to the British. Roughly 16,000 soldiers from Hesse-Cassel served with the British in North America, the first of whom arrived in August 1776. In the 19th century, most US colonial cabinets included a "Blood thaler," though the old tradition has faded in recent decades. Feel free to start it again...$475
Scotland. (1542-58) bawbee of Mary, Queen of Scots. First Period. SCOTORV obverse. Very Fine. Even dusky gray with some lively gloss on the billon surfaces, Well struck and well centered, with M R and MARIA complete and a nicely defined thistle. Scottish coins make up a statistically significant percentage of finds from 17th century American contexts, and even pieces this early saw American circulation -- English sixpences of this era are frequent discoveries in such sites. Most survivors, because of the instability of the billon composition, are pretty grubby looking. This one is nice...$285
Spain. 1799 1 maravedi. Choice About Uncirculated. A tiny little coin in glorious condition, with hints of faded mint red still present at central obverse, surrounded by lustrous chocolate brown with a faint blue overtone. A scarce coin in any grade, this 15 mm piece represents just 1/32 of one real, or 1/272 of a dollar. This was a four year type. I don't see these offered often in any grade, particularly not like this...$275
Choice 1781 Half Joe From the Year of the Battle of Yorktown
Portugal. 1781 6400 reis or half joe. AU-58 (PCGS). 220.4 grains, or just over 9 dwt, 4 grains, full weight and unclipped. Superb cartwheel lustre remains on choice deep yellow gold surfaces with hints of coppery highlights. A little dirt on the cheek bespeaks originality, and no significant hairlines or other defects are seen. This quality usually ends up in high end AU up to about MS-62 graded holders; I'm sure this would grade, and almost certainly in that range. The prices of these at auction has grown steadily and noticeably in the last few years, driven by strong demand in the US and in the large collector community in Brazil, not to mention first class offerings of Brazilian and Portuguese material brought to market by Heritage recently. Attractive original specimens like this always bring premium prices; that this bears a Revolutionary War date will increase the appeal for American collectors...$2950
Bolivia. 1770 JR 4 reales. Potosi mint. Very Fine. A choice example of this scarcest Pillar denomination. Deep olive gray with some golden tan highlights and light silver areas around the peripheries that retain a hint of lustre. Very attractive in hand, a perfect addition to a Pillar type set that focuses on original color and surfaces...$725
England. 1723 halfpenny. S-3660. EF-45 (PCGS). Highly lustrous medium chocolate brown with hints of sedate slate and olive. Frosty, choice, and very pretty. This issue just doesn't seem to be around in grades above abysmal; go poke around the major auction archives and see how many have been offered. Heritage has sold just one piece, an MS-61 BN (NGC) back in 2007 that I suspect would be passed over by 9 out of 10 people in favor of this one at the same price. Stack's hasn't had any. They turn up in England, of course, but still not all that frequently. This is a type that definitively circulated in America, and I have several in my collection that were found in New York and New Jersey. This will be a nice piece to serve as a foil to a high grade Wood's Hibernia or Rosa Americana issue of the same year...$495
Ireland. 1775 halfpenny. Proof / Fine.163.0 grains. Medal turn. An extraordinary grade rarity, a circulated proof issue on an oversized non-circulation planchet. The surfaces are light brown with many small marks and light tends, a minor rim bruise over RE of REX, and a stripe of dark toning across the reverse. Struck during the first year of the American Revolution, this piece probably hit circulation shortly thereafter. As a Proof, it's pretty scarce generally. This might be the most worn one known...$525
France. 1770 ecu. Pau mint. Choice Very Fine. Deep gray toning clings to the peripheries of the obverse, while the fields are highlighted with old golden shades; the reverse is a more even deep gray. Excellent eye appeal, with no problems beyond years of honestly earned wear. A batch of horizontal adjustment marks are present on the reverse at the crown, opposite the highest relief of the obverse and thus the hardest spot for such marks to be struck away. The coins of Pau, buried deep in the Pyrenees, have a slightly different obverse legend than most French ecus and thus stand as a distinctive type. I find their cow mintmark much more charming than a D, S, or CC. Ecus like this circulated in early America; indeed, the first 1794 half dollars were struck from a deposit of French ecus. A lightly circulated piece like this would fit right into a 1790s pocket...$295
Netherlands / Westfriesland. 1638 lion dollar. Extremely Fine. Just a nice lion dollar, with pleasing old golden toning on the even dusky gray surfaces. Some lustre remains at the peripheries, and no problems are seen. Almost round, very well struck for the issue, with full details and legends on both sides. The Dutch settlements in North America got new neighbors in 1638, when Swedes settled in the Delaware River Valley near modern-day Wilmington, Delaware. That year also marked the opening of the first ferry across the East River between Manhattan and Brooklyn. If this one was used on the ferry, it was carried gently...$425
Great Britain. 1775 George III type circulating counterfeit halfpenny. 96.1 grains. Choice Extremely Fine. Beautiful and glossy chocolate brown. The surfaces are hard and smooth, about as nice as can be found on a British-made circulating counterfeit halfpenny of this era. This type is a fairly common one, struck in one of England's manufactories, and in terms of weight and design is fairly typical of the well-made counterfeits of the era. Very little wear is present, though the relief of the portrait is not fully struck up on the thin planchet. Counterfeits just like this one were the most commonly found circulating coppers of the last quarter of the 18th century in both the United States and England. High grade ones are fairly elusive, and ones this pretty are even scarcer...$250
Russia. 1776 5 kopecks. Choice Extremely Fine. I can't imagine any of these ever circulated in early America (though I do know of a half-cut 2 kopecks of 1812 that was dug up in Rhode Island and another with an American merchant countermark), but it's nice to have a choice, high grade, big, impressive coin from 1776. This one is glossy brown and problem free, aside from being a little misaligned on the obverse and having an interesting big cud on the reverse. If you want an historical tie-in, it's this: 1776 was the year Russian soldiers didn't show up in America. George III asked Catherine the Great for troops. She said no, and her declared neutrality leaned steadily pro-American thereafter. Anyway, before an enormous hoard of these broke about 15-20 years, these things cost more than this. They still seem like they should sell for more than...$175
Original 1824-R Brazil 960 Reis, Struck on a Peru Undertype
Brazil. 1824 960 Reis. Rio Mint. Pedro I as Emperor of Brazil. Extremely Fine. Struck over a Ferdinand VII portrait 8 reales of Lima Mint, JP assayer. Silver gray devices contrast with glossy antique gray fields which retain pleasing old gold and pale blue highlights. Aside from some shallow, natural roughness above 9:00 on the obverse which will offend no one, this is as choice an example of this type in circulated grade as I've ever seen. A lot of Brazilian coins have been harshly cleaned (lacquered, too), but this one has missed that indignity and remains boldly original. The undertype is easy to make out on both sides. The 1842 Eckfeldt-Dubois Manual Of Gold And Silver Coins Of All Nations described these pieces in circulation: "this is the Spanish dollar, in a new dress; being softened by annealing, and then restamped. The pillars may be seen peeping from beneath, upon close examination." They were made legal tender in 1834 and would have readily circulated alongside Spanish 8 reales even before then. This type, the last type of 960 Reis coined, is the only type under the Empire of Brazil; earlier types were struck in the name of the King of Portugal. I don't know why I like these as much as I do (I've always liked overstrikes), but that interest has meant I've kept an eye peeled for them over the years. I've seen very, very few I liked as much as this one...$625
Scarce Uncirculated Brazil 80 Reis
Brazil. 1832 80 Reis. Rio mint. Pedro II. Choice Mint State. Frosty medium brown with strong cartwheel lustre and a hint of mint color on the reverse. A bit flashier on reverse than obverse, no heavy marks, minor obverse rim push over ER of PEDRO on the obverse, some old toning spots hidden within the central reverse. I used to collect this type by date and mint when I was a kid, and I'm still fascinated with them. They were the largest copper coins produced in this hemisphere, rivalling the Russian five kopecks for diameter, though not for weight. A big spread between the value of their copper and their circulation value in Brazil led to this type being counterfeited in the United States, particularly at the Belleville (NJ) Mint. A small number of counterfeits of this type are known struck over Matron Head large cents. This one is genuine, and very nice for the type. These were officially recalled in 1835 to be counterstamped, then re-released at half their original value, so uncountermarked specimens in this grade are very elusive...$425
Nicely Toned Five Francs of Napoleon, Year 13 (1804)
France. Year 13 of the Republic (1804) Five Francs. Napoleon I, as Empereur. Extremely Fine. A new acquisition from a collection mostly gathered in the 1960s and just purchased from the heirs. Lovely lustre persists at the obverse periphery, with old gray color showing very appealing highlights of gold and light blue. The reverse is a more even slate gray with some remaining peripheral lustre, but that side, as always, is struck in more shallow relief. This type, struck for just three years, is the first to style Napoleon as Empereur and is quite scarce in high grade. This one shows some old hairlines under the toning and some minor marks at the central reverse, but the color and eye appeal are both very nice for the grade. Five francs circulated in the early American republic, and this type is known as the host for countermarks from both St. Louis and New Orleans, whose French character and populace assured a significant proportion of this type in circulation. St. Louis was officially turned over to the Americans early in 1804. According to Schilke and Solomon's America's Foreign Coins, this type was officially valued at 93.3 cents between 1816 and 1827, then legal tender again from 1834 through 1857. Regardless of their official status, French five francs saw steady circulation, especially within the region of the Louisiana Purchase...$450
Holland. 1751 10 stuivers. Choice Extremely Fine. Some hints of lustre remain in dark gray toned fields, slightly lighter silver on the high points. The most interesting aspect of this coin is the natural hole at Hollandia's face, a byproduct of poorly rolled planchet stock. Another thin point is present below her hand. A very interesting oddity of 18th century minting, on a coin that could have passed for something like a two reales in early America, including the West Indies...$175
A trio of Mexican cobs, two eight reales and a four reale, uncleaned and in as-found hoard state. They all look to be Phillip V, late 17th century, and from the Mexico City Mint. The pennant-like shape of one is unusual and charming, the other two are more typical. My source for these tells me they likely come from a hoard in the East Indies, where colonial powers traded these coins much like they did in colonial America. The four reales shows a few small chopmarks to back up this Eastern origin. These aren't pretty, or even especially rare (though chopmarks on four reales aren't seen too often), but their patina and globe-trotting provenance make this an interesting little group. All three for...$350
Very Rare Plugged/Regulated Joe, from a West Indian Shipwreck
Brazil / British North America. 1747 6400 reis or half joe. Rio Mint. Clipped, re-edged, and anonymously plugged. Choice Very Fine. A rare prize, pedigreed to the Edward Roehrs Collection and, earlier still, to a shipwreck off the coast of Florida that yielded several American regulated gold pieces. Lightly abraded light yellow gold surfaces show fine granularity from sand exposure. This one has had a variety of misfortunes befall it during its useful life: it was clipped to below standard weight (it remains a half pennyweight light at 206.0 grains / precisely 8 dwt, 14 grains). It was re-edged with a fraudulent design to imitate an unclipped coin. Someone, convinced by the edge, decided to cut the coin to see if it was genuine and gold; it is both, but evidence of their detection method remains right of the date. Most interestingly, the coin was plugged neatly in Joao's hair, placed from the reverse, where a small raised splash of gold remains. These have been termed "anonymous regulations," as they bear no initials of the goldsmith who accomplished the work. After I wrote the Roehrs catalogue, another theory came to light: that this kind of very small, precise plug represents a drillhole to check the composition, a plug that was then replaced by a goldsmith. There remains little documentation of the practical methods of regulation, though we know the city of Charleston felt the problem was significant enough to consider appointing a "Pluggmaster General." A regulation such as this may have been anonymous because it was accomplished by a government contractor in North America or the West Indies. They remain very rare. As noted in the description in the Roehrs sale, another similar piece exists that was found in the Ohio River in Kentucky, so they have a foot to stand in the American series. The fact that the shipwreck which carried this piece had a likely American origin is even more suggestive; the wreck also yielded regulated gold coins from Philadelphia regulated John David, Jr., New York regulator John Burger, and others.
The Roehrs collection was a five decade assemblage of regulated and clipped gold coins, yet contained only a single plug like this. Its wreck provenance, likely American, and its collector pedigree only add to its interest...$4950
Guatemala. 1772 P two reales. Guatemala (G) mint. Marked H.C in crenulated rectangle at center of obverse. Very Good. Dark silver gray fields with light silver gray devices and flat spots where die swelling wore unevenly. Some light marks and evidence of handling, good eye appeal for the grade. The two reales was struck in the last year before the city of Guatemala was destroyed by an earthquake, marking the end of the G mintmark. H.C has not been identified, though it may be the mark of Henry Clark, the Philadelphia silversmith who flourished ca. 1813; it could also be a more provincial smith who's not listed in the main silversmith guides. An interesting early American silversmith mark on a scarce host coin...$185
Mexico. 1762 MM four reales. Mexico City mint. VF-30 (PCGS). Nice light blue toning within the legends enlivens light silver gray surfaces. A good looking coin, a little batch of hairlines above the crown really the only flaw you'll find. This is the most challenging denomination in a Pillar type set, which is a fun little set to build (1/2 real, real, 2 reales, 4 reales, 8 reales), particularly so in VF-EF grade...Sold
(ca. 1850s?) "Hobo" two reales of Carlos III. Coin nearly slick, engraving Very Fine or better. Holed at 6:00. A charming little engraving, replacing the obliterated bust of Carlos III with a gentleman in a collared coat, with pipe and hat. The reverse shows a cleverly stylized rendering of the Pillars and Shields devices, with 2/ at the bottom periphery--this denomination was worth roughly two shillings, suggesting an English origin (though "shilling" was used as a synonym for a one real in some parts of the United States well into the 19th century). I've seen a lot of engraved coins, but I don't ever recall seeing another hobo-style two reales...$325
An Inexpensive but Choice Pillar dollar
Mexico. 1757 MM eight reales. Fine or so, worn at central obverse though other design elements are sharp. No bad marks, some minor surface dirt, even light silver gray with a hint of darker toning around lettering. Just a nice circulated example. $225