Eric P. Newman Collection, Part IX

1785 COPPER Immune Columbia Copper, George III Obverse, Vlack 15-85NY, W-1995, High R.6, VG10 NGC. Die alignment: 150?. An intriguing mule combining a fairly crude George III obverse reading CEORCIVS III REX with the more refined figure of Columbia seated on a crate representing commerce, holding aloft the scales of justice, and bearing a Liberty cap on a pole. This example, while well-circulated, is largely problem-free, with a couple old scratches noted on the reverse. Struck distinctly off-center, as frequently seen on these, with the second half of CEORCIVS and the first half of IMMUNE being off-planchet. Free of the corrosion seen on several of the 15 or so surviving examples known. Listed on page 57 of the 2018 Guide Book. Ex: Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society.

Heritage Newman IX, November 2017, lot 15020, realized $24000. Images and description courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

1670-A 5SOL French Colonies 5 Sols, Breen-256, W-11605, Martin 2-G. R.6, AU53 NGC. Die alignment: 210?. These highly important North American Colonial coins were authorized by Louis XIV on February 19, 1670, and struck later that year, being the first French Colonial pieces explicitly struck for their American possessions. This attractive original example has slate gray toning with gold highlights and a couple areas of darker coloration on the obverse. The reverse, which features some heavy die cracks, is somewhat softer in hue, with a blush of pink to the gray background. A high-grade piece, Martin lists no uncirculated 5 sols of this die combination in his census. Listed on page 54 of the 2018 Guide Book. Ex: Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society.

Heritage Newman IX, November 2017, lot 15019, realized $13200. Images and description courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

1670-A 5SOL French Colonies 5 Sols, Breen-256, W-11605, Martin 2-G. R.6, AU53 NGC. Die alignment: 210?. These highly important North American Colonial coins were authorized by Louis XIV on February 19, 1670, and struck later that year, being the first French Colonial pieces explicitly struck for their American possessions. This attractive original example has slate gray toning with gold highlights and a couple areas of darker coloration on the obverse. The reverse, which features some heavy die cracks, is somewhat softer in hue, with a blush of pink to the gray background. A high-grade piece, Martin lists no uncirculated 5 sols of this die combination in his census. Listed on page 54 of the 2018 Guide Book. Ex: Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society.

Heritage Newman IX, November 2017, lot 15019, realized $13200. Images and description courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

1783 SHILNG Chalmers Shilling, Short Worm, Breen-1011, W-1785, R.4, XF45 NGC. Die alignment: 45?. Slate gray fields and bright silver highlights in the protected areas give this Chalmers shilling strong eye appeal. This piece is of above-average strike, with consistently bold design elements and lettering. A touch off-center, as are many Chalmers coins, most notably toward 4 o'clock on the reverse. Most examples of the Chalmers coinage show evidence of having been widely accepted in circulation. While the number struck must have been significant, all of the varieties and denominations are scarce, if not rare, today. Only three are graded finer by NGC (7/17). Listed on page 53 of the 2018 Guide Book. Ex: Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society.

Heritage Newman IX, November 2017, lot 15018, realized $10500. Images and description courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

1783 SHILNG Chalmers Shilling, Short Worm, Breen-1011, W-1785, R.4, XF45 NGC. Die alignment: 45?. Slate gray fields and bright silver highlights in the protected areas give this Chalmers shilling strong eye appeal. This piece is of above-average strike, with consistently bold design elements and lettering. A touch off-center, as are many Chalmers coins, most notably toward 4 o'clock on the reverse. Most examples of the Chalmers coinage show evidence of having been widely accepted in circulation. While the number struck must have been significant, all of the varieties and denominations are scarce, if not rare, today. Only three are graded finer by NGC (7/17). Listed on page 53 of the 2018 Guide Book. Ex: Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society.

Heritage Newman IX, November 2017, lot 15018, realized $10500. Images and description courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

1737 THREEPENCE Higley Copper, CONNECTICVT, Freidus 1.3-A, W-8215, R.7, Fine 15 NGC. 124.0 grains. Die alignment: 180?. An American classic. The obverse detail on this coin is exceptional for the grade level, with any number of higher-grade examples having less to offer in terms of visible design elements. The deer is outstanding, fully formed with distinct edges, a clearly rendered eye, and antlers on which one can easily count four points apiece. Given the importance of the Higley deer as one of the premier instances of early American folk art on coins, the viewer could hardly ask for more. The obverse legend is affected by pitting around the border, especially clockwise between 12 o'clock and 7 o'clock, but it remains clear and fully legible. Even the minor aspects of the coin's artistry -- the double line on which the deer stands, the single line encircling it, and the dentilation around the border -- are unusually distinct. It is indisputable that the obverse of this example must have been unusually well-struck. Higley coppers tend to be well-centered, and this one is no exception. The reverse is less firmly struck and the level of detail visible is more in keeping with what one expects of a coin in this grade. The central crowned hammers are mostly soft, with the one on the lower left being the sharpest. CONNECTICVT is somewhat faint, with TIC being especially light. The small numerals of the date are easy to miss at first glance, but they are all present and reasonably clear, as is the star to their left. The marginal pitting seen on the obverse is also present here, but to a lesser extent. On both sides, tan highlights distinguish the design from darker brown fields. The overall eye-appeal is very strong. This particular die variety was unknown to Crosby, and was brought to the attention of the numismatic community in an article by Henry Chapman in the March 1916 issue of The Numismatist. Dan Freidus traced six examples of it in his 1994 Coinage of the Americas Conference presentation subsequently published by the ANS in The Token: America's Other Money. The Higley coppers have long been regarded as among the most important early American coins, and the lack of documentary evidence relating to them has made them the stuff of legend. This piece provides exceptional value and will be a point of pride for its next owner. Listed on page 50 of the 2018 Guide Book. Ex: Waldo Newcomer; "Colonel" E.H.R. Green; Eric P. Newman and Burdette G. Johnson; Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society.

Heritage Newman IX, November 2017, lot 15017, realized $102000. Images and description courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

1737 THREEPENCE Higley Copper, CONNECTICVT, Freidus 1.3-A, W-8215, R.7, Fine 15 NGC. 124.0 grains. Die alignment: 180?. An American classic. The obverse detail on this coin is exceptional for the grade level, with any number of higher-grade examples having less to offer in terms of visible design elements. The deer is outstanding, fully formed with distinct edges, a clearly rendered eye, and antlers on which one can easily count four points apiece. Given the importance of the Higley deer as one of the premier instances of early American folk art on coins, the viewer could hardly ask for more. The obverse legend is affected by pitting around the border, especially clockwise between 12 o'clock and 7 o'clock, but it remains clear and fully legible. Even the minor aspects of the coin's artistry -- the double line on which the deer stands, the single line encircling it, and the dentilation around the border -- are unusually distinct. It is indisputable that the obverse of this example must have been unusually well-struck. Higley coppers tend to be well-centered, and this one is no exception. The reverse is less firmly struck and the level of detail visible is more in keeping with what one expects of a coin in this grade. The central crowned hammers are mostly soft, with the one on the lower left being the sharpest. CONNECTICVT is somewhat faint, with TIC being especially light. The small numerals of the date are easy to miss at first glance, but they are all present and reasonably clear, as is the star to their left. The marginal pitting seen on the obverse is also present here, but to a lesser extent. On both sides, tan highlights distinguish the design from darker brown fields. The overall eye-appeal is very strong. This particular die variety was unknown to Crosby, and was brought to the attention of the numismatic community in an article by Henry Chapman in the March 1916 issue of The Numismatist. Dan Freidus traced six examples of it in his 1994 Coinage of the Americas Conference presentation subsequently published by the ANS in The Token: America's Other Money. The Higley coppers have long been regarded as among the most important early American coins, and the lack of documentary evidence relating to them has made them the stuff of legend. This piece provides exceptional value and will be a point of pride for its next owner. Listed on page 50 of the 2018 Guide Book. Ex: Waldo Newcomer; "Colonel" E.H.R. Green; Eric P. Newman and Burdette G. Johnson; Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society.

Heritage Newman IX, November 2017, lot 15017, realized $102000. Images and description courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

Undated TOKEN New Yorke Token, Brass, W-1705, R.6 VF35 NGC. 54.9 grains. Die alignment: 360?. A bright brass example of this mysterious Colonial-era token, the first numismatic item to bear the New York name, with a provenance going back over a century. The obverse is problem-free, with a clear depiction of Cupid and Psyche under palm trees. The reverse is somewhat lightly struck toward the upper half of the coin, with the eagle's head and the rosette above it being faint -- though even the finest known of these tokens shows a lack of detail in these areas. The color is exceptionally attractive, indicative of a high zinc content, without any of the discoloration seen on some examples. This enigmatic piece was first brought to widespread attention in the October 1861 issue of The Historical Magazine, in which Fisk Parsons Brewer published an illustrated article discussing it and speculating on its origins. While his conclusions are no longer accepted (he felt that the token, though discovered in a European museum, was struck in New York to facilitate trade), Brewer deserves credit for alerting numismatists of the day to its existence and for suggesting a late 17th century date of manufacture. While some have proposed that the coin may be of Dutch origin, the use of the English spelling "America" (as opposed to the Dutch "Amerika") argues otherwise. Its stylistic resemblance to British tokens made around 1670 is also strong. All known examples spent time in circulation, another trait of British tokens of this era. The best modern treatment of the token is John Kleeberg's presentation to the 1991 Coinage of the Americas Conference. Kleeberg concludes that the tokens were made for Francis Lovelace, who served as the English governor of New York from 1668 to 1673. The obverse depicts a rebus on the name Lovelace, rebuses being pictographic puzzles that were quite popular and used on other British tokens of the day. The reverse depicts the Lovelace arms, which were dominated by a frontal portrayal of an eagle. Kleeberg argues that, given the lack of formal arms of New York at the time, Lovelace's personal arms would have served as New York's during his governorship. With New York being recaptured by the Dutch in 1673, Lovelace's governorship came to an end. This intriguing and still-perplexing token is likely the only numismatic memento of his American political career. Listed on page 49 of the 2018 Guide Book. Ex: Dr. Thomas Hall (1909); Virgil M. Brand; Brand Estate; Burdette G. Johnson (1937); Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society.

Heritage Newman IX, November 2017, lot 15016, realized $38400. Images and description courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

Undated TOKEN New Yorke Token, Brass, W-1705, R.6 VF35 NGC. 54.9 grains. Die alignment: 360?. A bright brass example of this mysterious Colonial-era token, the first numismatic item to bear the New York name, with a provenance going back over a century. The obverse is problem-free, with a clear depiction of Cupid and Psyche under palm trees. The reverse is somewhat lightly struck toward the upper half of the coin, with the eagle's head and the rosette above it being faint -- though even the finest known of these tokens shows a lack of detail in these areas. The color is exceptionally attractive, indicative of a high zinc content, without any of the discoloration seen on some examples. This enigmatic piece was first brought to widespread attention in the October 1861 issue of The Historical Magazine, in which Fisk Parsons Brewer published an illustrated article discussing it and speculating on its origins. While his conclusions are no longer accepted (he felt that the token, though discovered in a European museum, was struck in New York to facilitate trade), Brewer deserves credit for alerting numismatists of the day to its existence and for suggesting a late 17th century date of manufacture. While some have proposed that the coin may be of Dutch origin, the use of the English spelling "America" (as opposed to the Dutch "Amerika") argues otherwise. Its stylistic resemblance to British tokens made around 1670 is also strong. All known examples spent time in circulation, another trait of British tokens of this era. The best modern treatment of the token is John Kleeberg's presentation to the 1991 Coinage of the Americas Conference. Kleeberg concludes that the tokens were made for Francis Lovelace, who served as the English governor of New York from 1668 to 1673. The obverse depicts a rebus on the name Lovelace, rebuses being pictographic puzzles that were quite popular and used on other British tokens of the day. The reverse depicts the Lovelace arms, which were dominated by a frontal portrayal of an eagle. Kleeberg argues that, given the lack of formal arms of New York at the time, Lovelace's personal arms would have served as New York's during his governorship. With New York being recaptured by the Dutch in 1673, Lovelace's governorship came to an end. This intriguing and still-perplexing token is likely the only numismatic memento of his American political career. Listed on page 49 of the 2018 Guide Book. Ex: Dr. Thomas Hall (1909); Virgil M. Brand; Brand Estate; Burdette G. Johnson (1937); Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society.

Heritage Newman IX, November 2017, lot 15016, realized $38400. Images and description courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

1723 FARTH Hibernia Farthing, Silver, Martin 3.3-Bc.3, W-12500, R.5, AU58 NGC. 74.0 grains. Die alignment: 180?. A pleasing representative of the silver Hibernia farthings, struck under unknown circumstances by William Wood. This piece exhibits deep cabinet toning of smoky gray with a blush of pink, accentuated by iridescent blue highlights in the legends, and with prooflike surfaces. Very light rub to the highpoints of the hair, and to Hibernia's dress and harp, are barely noticeable under the undisturbed toning, evidence of nearly 300 years of care. While Bowers notes in his Colonial Encyclopedia that this is the "most available silver striking in the Wood's Hibernia series," this is probably due to the discovery in the 1950s of as many as 25 silver farthings that had been kept in a tube with silver Hibernia halfpennies for ends. Silver farthings were considered much more rare before then, with the Garrett collection lacking a single example and with the envelope accompanying this piece marked "Probably unique." From the earliest obverse die state. Listed on page 46 of the 2018 Guide Book. Ex: Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society.

Heritage Newman IX, November 2017, lot 15015, realized $3840. Images and description courtesy of Heritage Auctions.