1796 Repub. Ameri token or "penny." Bronzed copper, 33 mm. Baker-68, Breen-1275. Choice Mint State

SOLD
SKU
10014016
$4,600.00
Beautiful deep chocolate brown with fully reflective bronzed surfaces. Essentially gem, with just a few spare hairlines visible under a glass. Included in the Breen Encyclopedia and the Dalton and Hamer conder token reference, this piece has long been collected as a coin or token. This 1796-dated piece was struck to mark the retirement of Washington from the Presidency, a revolutionary development for the new nation; a similar piece (Baker-69) was struck in 1800 to memorialize Washington's passing. This variety seems a bit scarcer than Baker-69 today; both are rare, even rarer in this illustrious grade. I first saw this piece in the summer of 2006 when it emerged from the trunk that contained the Norweb collection of Washingtoniana; it was still in its original pink (for copper) Norweb envelope at the time. This piece brought $4,600 in the November 2006 Norweb sale, catalogued by American Numismatic Rarities and sold after the merger with Stack's. It reappeared in the September 2009 Stack's Americana sale; it again brought $4,600. It is now on the market again after having most recently resided in the famed Cardinal Collection. The original Norweb envelope and two lot tickets are still with it.
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