1775 US Colonial Non-Regal Halfpenny Countermark Wm Lee
$198.00
1775 US Colonial Non-Regal Halfpenny Countermark Wm Lee
Description:
1775 US Colonial Non-Regal, Contemporary CFT George III Copper Halfpenny Countermarked Counterstamped Wm Lee , William Lee , Merchant Trade Token as Found in Vermont
The host coin is crudely struck with a VG or Fine obverse and a weak, possibly intentionally weak reverse. Not a Machin's Mills, by referencing Bowers' Encyclopedia of Colonial and Early American Coins, page 225.
Machin's Mills actually struck higher quality coins than this specimen. Slightly dished or cupped from the strike of the counterstamp.
The poor definition of details, the lack of details, was intended to give this coin the "look" of a well-circulated, well-accepted copper halfpenny coin.
I could not find William Lee in any of my silversmith reference books, so I am speculating that this coin is a merchant token, a trade token.
I own several hundred both regal and non-regal copper Colonial halfpennies and this coin is one of the most interesting, anecdotal, folksy, historically significant of my collection.
In a way, this coin is more unusual, and perhaps scarcer than Machin's Mills coins found in the 13 Colonies.
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