Couldn't resist this real piece of history
OnWithTheHunt
Posts: 1,236 ✭✭✭✭✭
Usually reserve my "major" purchases for the Buffalo set, but couldn't take my eyes off this one at the Naugatuck, CT show on Saturday. According to the Red Book, its one of the privately-minted coins made during the Revoluntionary era. That's George Washington's portrait, and the words, Washington & Independence on the obverse, and "Unity States of America" would seem to indicate that it was made even as the peace treaty with England was being negotiated in 1783 and before the formal name of the country was decided. This is new territory for me, my only previous early copper purchases were for my 7070, and none of them are as attractive as this one. The true color is more a chocolate brown rather than purple. I'm wondering what it would grade and whether I overpaid. Also wondering what created the parallel lines across parts of obverse and reverse. Others I've seen in books and on ebay have the same markings, although some have a lot more.
Comments
Cool looking, but what is it?
Very nice piece! One can make a whole collection of the Washington tokens of the era. Very interesting field, but not a lot of concrete information. Probably made much later than the date on the token. https://coins.nd.edu/colcoin/colcoinintros/WashUNITY.intro.html
Nice pickup!
I'd hazard a guess that it was actually struck in the mid 1790's given the cent denomination and the fraction on the reverse - mimicking the reverse of the capped bust cents. The 1783 date was probably memorializing the recognition of independence that year.
Kinda looks like file adjustment marks on the planchet? Or maybe on the die faces? I'll stand by for the more enlightened. Nice coin, no matter. Peace Roy
BST: endeavor1967, synchr, kliao, Outhaul, Donttellthewife, U1Chicago, ajaan, mCarney1173, SurfinHi, MWallace, Sandman70gt, mustanggt, Pittstate03, Lazybones, Walkerguy21D, coinandcurrency242 , thebigeng, Collectorcoins, JimTyler, USMarine6, Elkevvo, Coll3ctor, Yorkshireman, CUKevin, ranshdow, CoinHunter4, bennybravo, Centsearcher, braddick, Windycity, ZoidMeister, mirabela, JJM, RichURich, Bullsitter, jmski52, LukeMarshall, coinsarefun, MichaelDixon, NickPatton, ProfLiz, Twobitcollector,Jesbroken oih82w8, DCW
@lcutler nailed it IMHO
BST: endeavor1967, synchr, kliao, Outhaul, Donttellthewife, U1Chicago, ajaan, mCarney1173, SurfinHi, MWallace, Sandman70gt, mustanggt, Pittstate03, Lazybones, Walkerguy21D, coinandcurrency242 , thebigeng, Collectorcoins, JimTyler, USMarine6, Elkevvo, Coll3ctor, Yorkshireman, CUKevin, ranshdow, CoinHunter4, bennybravo, Centsearcher, braddick, Windycity, ZoidMeister, mirabela, JJM, RichURich, Bullsitter, jmski52, LukeMarshall, coinsarefun, MichaelDixon, NickPatton, ProfLiz, Twobitcollector,Jesbroken oih82w8, DCW
Agree. I was going to message you about his link but you beat me to it.