Colombia. 1824 FM one escudo. Popayan mint. AU-55 (PCGS). A highly lustrous medium yellow specimen of a type that should get more attention for its common usage in early America. According to the 1842 Manual of Gold and Silver Coins of All Nations by US Mint officials William E. Dubois and Jacob R. Eckfeldt, "the doubloons [of Colombia] and their fractions are more frequently seen in this country, or at least at this mint, than any other of the class usually called 'patriot,'" the pieces struck in the newly independent nations of Latin America. "They are pretty regular in weight [but] the doubloons of Popayan are decidely inferior." The US Mint assayers of 1842 valued this coin as $1.87, making it essentially a 15 reales piece. Obsolete bank notes are occasionally denominated as 87 1/2 cents and the $1.87.5 denomination was even seen among plugged or regulated gold coins. This piece shows exemplary remaining lustre, choice color, and a better than typical strike. A single tiny nick above the date is the only mark noted. The Eliasberg specimen, earlier ex Clapp, was neither as well struck as this nor as nice overall, despite its AU-58 (NGC) grade. It brought $518 in 2005. Clapp was a picky collector of Latin American gold, which suggests that piece was the best he encountered...$775
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
French Colonies / Guadeloupe. 1767-A sou. Paris mint. Counterstamped RF in 1793 for circulation in Guadeloupe. Choice Very Fine. A popular US colonial issue, though both the undercoin and the countermark were produced for the French Colonies after North America had been ceded. Despite the timeline problem, this type continues to be sought out by most colonial collectors. While some may well have circulated in American Gulf Coast cities, this type absolutely circulated all over the French West Indies. It represents an easy entry into the fascinating cut and countermarked coins of the West Indies, with a tie to the French and Indian War and the French Revolution. Guadeloupe, a tiny sugar island, was traded for the whole of Canada at the Treaty of Paris negotiations in 1763; this was the next coinage authorized for the island after the French re-assumed control. In 1793, the Revolutionary government was in charge of France, and it recalled these pieces to be countermarked to circulate at a different value. These pieces were called "collots" after the governor of Guadeloupe, Georges Henri Victor Collot, who engaged in a spy mission into the American interior in 1795 and 1795 on behalf of the French government. This piece is pleasing dark brown and mahogany with good gloss. Most example of this issue are rather ugly. This one is superb for the grade...$350
Dominica. (1798) moco or 1 1/2 bitts. Pridmore-22. Choice Very Fine. 44.8 grains. 15 crenelations around edge, the hallmark of the 5000 official mocos authorized by the island of Dominica in 1798. Pleasing deep silver gray with a hint of navy blue. Little worn but somewhat swollen at center, causing some appearance of wear. Problem-free and original. This issue, as noted by Pridmore, was "extensively counterfeited" at the time, producing a range of collectible varieties. This diminutive cut issue of the West Indies was produced from a circular segment cut from the center of an eight reales, hammered flat, then struck with a blank reverse and the detailed obverse. A popular and interesting issue from the British West Indies...$425
Incredible Mexican 8 Reales Cob, Ex. Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry
Mexico. Undated eight reales, probably Phillip V (1700-24). Fine or so. A common coin with an uncommon provenance and history. While this piece is prettier than most Mexican cob 8 reales of this crude era, with smooth deep gray surfaces and no corrosion or problems, it is still fairly typical. But how many cobs have collector pedigrees dating to decades before the Civil War? Commodore Perry is most famous for opening Japan to the West in the 1850s, but during his long and storied naval career he gathered coins from all over the world into a collection that remained intact until 1995, when it was lovingly catalogued by Frank Van Valen of Bowers and Merena for the January 1995 FUN auction. I actually attended this auction in person as a high school senior and personally viewed (and took notes on) this very coin back then. The auction was a happening, with pieces bringing strong prices and collectors fighting for the chance to own a souvenir from the Commodore's world travels in the first half of the 19th century. This piece, like nearly all from the collection, also comes with an envelope annotated by Lyman Low in 1898 when he appraised the collection. The envelope for this coin misattributes it as a piece from Guatemala -- forgivable considering how few cobs were in the American numismatic marketplace before the great shipwreck and hoard finds of the 20th century. Perry could have acquired this in the West Indies in the 1820s while on pirate patrol -- exciting stuff! I haven't seen a Perry coin on the market in a long time, so I snapped this one up when I had the chance. It sold for $275 back in 1995 as Lot 503 in the January 1995 Bowers and Merena sale (it was even plated). Today it's yours for...Hold
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
Spain. 1724 J two reales or pistareen. Seville mint. Choice About Uncirculated. A glistening, frosty pistareen of Phillip V, with light golden toning and only the merest suggestion of friction on the highest points of the design. The dies are a bit fatigued, with the typical vertical stretch marks seen on this type, a relic of their roller die technology. For more images of roller dies from this era, add Ceca Segovia (the Segovia Mint) on Facebook; they've worked to preserve minting technology like this. Pistareens of this type saw more circulation in early America, especially the Mid-Atlantic states, than nearly any other small silver types in 18th century America. Cut into halves and quarters, portions of pistareens became dimes and half dimes. Though these coins still survive in substantial numbers today, few are this high grade, original, and attractive...$625
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
Spain. 1725 JJ two reales or pistareen. Cuenca mint. Cal-1164. Choice Mint State. An impressively struck coin, deeply detailed on both sides. Frosty and brightly lustrous, chiefly brilliant with some light peripheral toning and a delicate golden sheen. Just a beautiful pistareen from this slightly scarcer mint, a perfect addition to a Mint State collection of pistareens by date and mint. There was no more common small silver coin in the Mid-Atlantic states in the 18th century, making this denomination one of the world trade coins most appropriate for inclusion in an American-themed world coin collection...$675
Superb Quality Carlos and Johanna Four Reales, ca. 1542
Mexico. (ca. 1542-55) four reales. Assayer A/G. Mexico City mint. KM-0018, Cal-79. Nesmith-unlisted. Carlos and Johanna, late series. AU-50 (NGC). A round, sharp, choice, toned example of this iconic issue from the first decades of the Mexico City mint. As sharp as any piece graded AU-55 or MS-61 by NGC, prettier than any I've seen, with full detail in areas like the waves, the crown's rosettes, the lions and castles, and other finer elements. While these late series Carlos and Johanna 4 reales are not as rare as the early series types, they are essentially never seen like this. The toning is an even deep gray, found over lively fields than preserve some original mint bloom. It is amazing to ponder that the Mexico City mint could produce a coin like this less than 25 years after Cortez arrived and less than a decade after the primitive mint in Mexico City opened. This piece sold for over $3400 in the November 2006 Ponterio sale, and it recently reappeared in the collection of Jim Jones, a savvy specialist in early Americana who recognized the historic significance of the products of the first American mint. While sharp examples of this issue survive, this one is the creme de la creme...Sold
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. 1731/0 MF two reales. Mexico City mint. Fine to Very Fine. 6.6 grams. An unusual little cob two reales, with hints of deep golden toning in the intricacies and lovely deep gray antique silver surfaces on both sides. While most Philip V 2 real cobs lack a date, this one has been centered in such a way that the date -- complete with a naked eye overdate -- and mintmark are bold, along with a good cross on the other side. Calico's 2008 edition places the value of this piece at 300 euros, and the dumpy looking plate piece is nowhere near as nice as this one. A very handsome two-bit cob...Sold
Mexico. 1730 G eight reales. Mexico City mint. Fine. 26.8 grams. Dusky silver gray with some earthen highlights. The planchet shows some striations in the unstruck areas, but the cross is good and sharp, the mintmark and assayer mark are complete, and the 0 of the date is present, allowing for positive attribution. Phillip V Mexican 8 reales lack a date the vast majority of the time, particularly salvage specimens. This one has a pleasing natural look...Sold
Bolivia. 1652 E one real. Potosi mint. Fine. 3.1 grams. Phillip IV, struck after the Potosi mintmaster scandal. PH atop the "checkerboard" pattern, mintmark P, three assayer marks (E), and a date visible on both obverse and reverse. A handsome, if worn, Potosi one real cob from this important date, avidly collected both in connection with the Potosi revaluation scandal and as the first issue date for Massachusetts silver. An old toning spot is present in the northwest obverse, nice old peripheral cabinet toning on light silver gray surfaces...Sold
High Grade 1602 Irish Penny, as found at Jamestown
Ireland. 1602 penny. Elizabeth I. S-6510. Choice Very Fine. A superb example of this important type. Scarce today, this was apparently a common type in Jamestown in the first decades of the 17th century. According to the Preservation Virginia website, "dozens of Irish coins have been found during the course of excavation," mostly within the original James Fort. This example is far finer than any of those found, with gorgeous deep olive patina and a nice broad planchet. The design is sharp, though the left reverse periphery is soft, and ELIZABETH and the date are complete. This may be the nicest one of these I've had in the last several years, and I have trouble finding them in the marketplace. Given how many were found at Jamestown, it seems likely a quantity of these was specially imported to Virginia in the earliest days of settlement to serve as small change. Wood's Hibernias may get all the attention, but these rare Irish coppers were here first....Sold
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. 1767 MF eight reales. Mexico City Mint. Choice Very Fine. Choice dark gray with slightly lighter devices. A beautiful piece for the grade, sharp enough to retain PLUS ULTRA and showing only a few minor scattered marks. A simply ideal circulated Pillar dollar...Sold
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
Mexico. 1751 M two reales. Mexico City mint. Very Fine, salvaged. "Select" (ANACS). From the 1784 wreck of El Cazador Bright silver, cleaned after recovery, with an area of discoloration at central reverse. A vertical adjustment mark is seen at the soft left center of the reverse. Good detail, not badly corroded, a much better looking coin than 99% of the pieces from this wreck. The El Cazador was found in 1993 by a fishing vessel in the Gulf of Mexico. Bound for New Orleans, this coin and the others on board should have ended up in American pockets -- coins just like them did. The principal cargo was 1783-dated Mexican eight reales, though some minor coins of the 1780s were also recovered and injected into the modern marketplace. Older coins like this made up just a tiny slice of the coins recovered and are met with rarely now...$275
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
England. 1773 circulating counterfeit farthing. George III. Choice Extremely Fine. 46.5 grains, a very light production. Glossy tan surfaces are ideal, unusual for the counterfeits of this issue. Some original unstruck planchet texture is visible on George's profile, left unobliterated when the thin planchet was unable to fill the relief of the die. Both sides are struck a bit off-center and softly at centers. Just as counterfeit halfpence were a plague on early American pockets, so too were underweight counterfeit farthings like this one...$275
Austria. 1699 three kreuzer. Vienna mint. MS-64 (NGC). As beautiful as a coin with Leopold the Hogmouth's mug on it can be. Fully brilliant and untoned, boldly lustrous and sharply detailed. Natural curved on the vertical axis from its roller die production. Leopold is a maxillofacial icon, and even in this diminutive size his ailment is on full display. It seems unusual that you can buy a near Gem coin from the 17th century for...$265
Mexico. 1786 FM eight reales. Mexico City mint. AU-58 (PCGS). Briliant, lustrous, and reflective, with light golden toning over both sides that deepens near the rims. The obverse is more brilliant, the reverse more golden. Some hairlines are seen on the prooflike obverse, light abrasion under chin, some hints of peripheral encrustation, soft spot at adjustment marks at right side of reverse arms. This piece and the 1788 eight reales that follows come from a hoard found in Haiti, which contained nearly exclusively Mint State eight reales from the mid to late 1780s. Not coincidentally, the island was rocked by a slave revolt in 1791 that evolved into the Haitian Revolution; undoubtedly the coins were secreted at that time. While this coin shows some handling and abrasions, its toning is pleasant and the eye appeal is superb...$495
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
Bolivia. 1694 VR two reales. Potosi mint. Carlos II. Extremely Fine. An interesting, broad, and boldly struck example, showing two obverse mintmarks, POTO of POTOSI, two obverse assay marks and another on the reverse, a good date and two denominations. The sharpness places this among the top echelon of the denomination, though there is a large thin unstruck area at the base of the obverse. A large thick tab above POTO seems to be where the planchet was cut from a larger piece, then flattened. The surfaces are mostly light silver gray, some light blue at the thin tips suggesting long-term envelope storage, and some darker toning or old encrustations forming contrast in the protected areas. Some very minor hairlines are seen in the unstruck portion below the reverse. A very handsome example, a worthy addition to any cob collection...Sold
Spanish Netherlands. 1624 escalin. Arras mint. Philip IV of Spain. Fine. Nice antique deep silver gray, a bit darker in some recesses. A bit crudely made and misshapen, but pleasing and showing all major devices. The rampant lion on the obverse resembles a smaller version of the Leo Belgicus on the obverse of the Lion dollar, and the 1624 date (the year the first 30 Dutch families settled in New Amsterdam) is plain at the central reverse. The escalin denomination was 1/8 of a patagon or 1/10 of a ducaton, roughly equal to a Spanish two reales. Coins like this could certainly have circulated alongside Lion dollars in early New York, particularly since the production runs of small denominations from the Dutch republics of this era were relatively small. This is a very handsome circulated specimen...Hold
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
Spain. 1707 Y one real or "half pistareen." Segovia Mint. KM-269. Very Fine. A very elusive one year type of Philip V, showing a fancy Philip V monogram on the obverse instead of the more familiar cross. This denomination was also called a croat, which makes me tempted to keep it, but if I started a collection highlighting my ethnic heritage I'd have to go buy a quarter guinea too. This piece shows pleasing light silver gray surfaces with just a hint of schmutz inside the obverse crown. Struck a little off-center, but nice and sharp for the grade. The roller dies that produced coins like this are preserved in the Segovia Mint today. Many are illustrated on their facebook page--(while you're there, add me). Jefferson called the half-pistareen (ten of which passed for a Spanish milled dollar) "perfectly familiar to us all" in his defense of a proposed dime denomination, making this an interesting addition to an early dime collection. This is the first example of this type I've ever owned, though I had (and sold) the two reales kin to this piece last year. If one was to build a type set of pistareens and half pistareens, this would be one of the keys...$275
Guatemala. 1759 P four reales. Guatemala City mint. Fine to Very Fine. Even light silver gray, just a little bright on the reverse. Unholed and unrepaired, a fairly wholesome example of this scarce issue. Softly struck, as is typical of the products of the Guatemala mint, but all legends and designs are complete. Some old scratches cross-hatch areas of the reverse; a less noticeable batch of fine scratches is present above the crown. In the context of Guatemala pillar four reales, this is pretty nice. It looks quite pleasing in hand...$625
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
England. 1771 halfpenny. AU-58 (PCGS). An accurately graded, deeply lustrous, reflective, ideally colored and choice specimens that I'd prefer to a lot of Mint State pieces. Medium brown surfaces show lustrous highlights of gold and pale blue, particularly rich on the prooflike reverse. Remarkably well struck, with full detail on the head of Britannia, a very unusual trait on this type. Struck from clashed dies. A beautiful example of this most common coin of colonial America (other than the fact that it's a genuine piece -- the fakes were more common)...$435
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. Choice About Uncirculated. 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
Peru. 1698 H 2 reales. Lima mint. Very Fine. 104.2 grains. A handsome cob two reales of a type that saw active American circulation. Medium gray with a strong central strike and light encrustation in the recesses. A few minor marks date from the coin's useful life and do not distract. The date, two mintmarks, and the assayer initial are complete...$350
Choice 1759 Mexico Pillar Dollar
Mexico. 1759 MM 8 reales or "pillar dollar." Mexico City mint. Choice Extremely Fine. A gorgeous example of this classic type, the coin that inspired the American dollar. Nice olive, gold, and slate blue highlights cling to the silver gray surfaces. A good deal of lustre remains, reflective in areas, and the eye appeal is superb. As original as this is, I wouldn't be surprised if it got certified as an AU-50 or AU-53; if it doesn't sell, I'll probably submit it and raise the price. It's a new purchase and I'll offer it as is with the assurances that it's as nice an example for the grade as you'd find in any holder. If I need to sell you on the concept of including a Pillar dollar in an American-focused coin collection, you haven't been paying attention...$595
England. 1723 halfpenny. S-3660. Choice About Uncirculated. 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
Great Britain. Spence's farthing. Dalton & Hamer Middlesex 1089. Mint State. Rich chocolate patina reveals reflective lustre in the fields. A beautiful piece, with only two old spots at the reverse rim mentioned as minor defects. Unworn, though softly struck on the reverse as always seen. This popular type, with the anti-slavery themed Am I Not a Man and Brother obverse and Adam and Eve on the reverse under the legend "Man Over Man He Made Not Lord," is rated as scarce by D&H. Spence's pieces are very popular of late, with red and brown Uncs selling for four figure prices. The historic nature of these Conder tokens, inspired by Wedgwood's designs and serving as inspiration to later American abolitionists, makes them easy types to add to any cabinet. From Davisson's Sale #9, October 1997, Lot 357, with lot ticket...$675
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
Pleasing One Real of Ferdinand and Isabella
Spain. Ferdinand and Isabella (ca. 1474-1506) one real. Seville Mint. S mintmark, assayer *. Choice Extremely Fine or better. Rich old multicolored cabinet toning graces this piece, imbued by the old paper envelope from Hesperia Art, ca. 1960, in which it's been stored for decades. Full weight at 3.4 grams, FERDINANDVS ET ISAB legends complete. A beautiful example of this bit from the era of the dawn of the New World, struck in the names of the most famous monarchs of the Era of Exploration...$235
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
England. 1662 crown. Charles II. Fine. Light silver gray with normal wear and no bad problems for the grade. There is a single tiny toned spot low in the haircurls. A nice example of this early milled type, struck just two years before the English took New Netherlands to unite their hold on the upper Atlantic seaboard...$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
Bolivia. 1687R two reales. Potosi Mint. Extremely Fine. A very sharp and well-detailed cob with attractive old toning and pleasing surfaces. Two dates, two mintmarks, two assayers. I have another more worn 1687R Potosi two reales in stock, and it's interesting to compare how different these coins look. They might make a nice pair. This one is...Sold
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. Choice Extremely Fine. A good bit of lustre persists at the peripheries, with nice light blue toning within the legends enlivening 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 EF-AU grade...$675
(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