Goldberg Coins & Collectibles Auctions    
       

       

                             



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

             
            Lot 2311Great Britain. Brass Proof Halfpenny, 1722. George I. Second 
            issue. Type of S-3660. Peck-801, listed as "Excessively Rare." The 
            Spink price guide rather blithely lists each date and variety in 
            this short series (1719-24) with a price in EF grade. However, what 
            is not told there is that finding an EF of any date is a daunting 
            task. As mentioned in our description of the Dump issue, these are 
            crudely made coins, loaded with flaws ordinarily, and they went to 
            wear fast being almost pure copper. Every date is rare in nice 
            grade. However, among the varieties is a major rarity, a coin struck 
            experimentally in brass (specific gravity 8.77, 85% copper and 15% 
            zinc), not copper. This coin! It has a plain edge (not viewable in 
            the slab) and obviously the preparation of the blank or flan was 
            special. This coin does not have the cracks and flaws so much 
            associated with the copper strikes. Obviously, the Royal Mint was 
            seeking alternatives, several years into making these halfpennies 
            for George I. One can only assume that brass was too expensive, and 
            so it was dropped as an idea. What remains are the couple of known 
            examples made of brass, one in the British Museum, this specimen, 
            possibly another (although we believe the current lot is the only 
            one in private hands). Light reddish brown toning but showing the 
            brass color clearly. A spectacular, irreplaceable early 18th-century 
            rarity, and both a landmark coin and one of the "copper stars" of 
            the Cheshire Collection. NGC graded Proof 61. 
            Estimated Value $2,750-3,250. 

            Provenance: The Cheshire Collection.
             Realized $3,600
             


          








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