Great Britain 1744 half penny
This specimen was lot 31621 in Heritage sale 3067 (Long Beach, September 2018), where it sold for $2,280. The catalog description[1] noted, "Great Britain: George II 1/2 Penny 1744 MS65 Brown NGC. A rarer date for this series, and a huge outlier in terms of condition representing the single finest graded example by NGC or PCGS (the next highest an AU58 NGC). George's portrait can surely appear no sharper on any other coin than this specimen, nor can Britannia be more exquisitely preserved elsewhere, both devices cloaked with subdued magenta-red luster. The quality of this coin is so high that it needs to be seen to be believed! Of proof quality, absolutely breathtaking, and a coin worthy of the finest collections of British copper." This type was struck 1740-45 with a slightly modified obverse (KM 579.2) struck 1746-54. The catalog notes all dates as fairly common yet, despite this, the issue did not begin to meet the need for small change in eighteenth century Britain, where the shortfall was made up by large quantities of tradesmen's tokens and counterfeits. In the eighteenth century, farthings and half pence were the only copper denominations, the penny was still struck in silver.
Recorded mintage: unknown but not rare.
Specification: 9.86 g, copper, 28 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: KM 579.1, S-3718.
- Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
- Lobel, Richard, Mark Davidson, Allan Hailstone and Eleni Calligas, Coincraft's Standard Catalogue of English and UK Coins, 1066 to Date, London: Coincraft, 1995.
- Freeman, Michael J., The Bronze Coinage of Great Britain, Rev. Ed., London: Spink & Son, 2006.
- Peck, C. Wilson, English Copper, Tin and Bronze Coins in the British Museum, 1558-1958, 2nd Ed., London: Oxford University Press, 1970.
- Skingley, Philip, ed., Standard Catalogue of British Coins: Coins of England & the United Kingdom, 46th edition, London: Spink & Son, 2011.
- [1]Cristiano Bierrenbach, Warren Tucker and Sam Spiegel, 2018 September 6-11 Long Beach Expo World Coins & Ancient Coins Signature Auction #3067, Dallas: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2018.
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