Goldberg Coins & Collectibles Auctions    
       

       

                             



Sale 31: The Pre-Long Beach Auction May 30 - June 1, 2005
             

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

            Provenance: The Cheshire Collection.
             Realized $1,600
             


          








Courtesy Ira & Larry Goldberg Auctioneers, Beverly Hills, CA. www.goldbergcoins.com