Martinique (1770-72) bit
This specimen was lot 34715 in Heritage sale 3094 (Chicago, August 2021), where it sold for $1,020. The catalog description[1] noted, "Gibraltar: British Colony Countermarked Bitt ND (1770-1772) Fine Details (Bent) NGC. Counterstamped on a Philip V Real 1735 Mo-MF. An issue traditionally attributed to Martinique (as in the Standard Catalog of World Coins) and Dominica (Pridmore pp. 308-309 describes an act of 1798 raising the value of the "Old Spanish milled dollar with a hole in the shape of a heart" from 10 to 11 bits), heart-shaped pierced coins of Pridmore Types I and II are now solidly attributed to Gibraltar following Bob Lyall's research. An iconic type with the trademark heart-shaped countermark cut and associated damage likely from the production of these issues. A fine example of this collectible series. From the Long Island Collection." The type IV countermark was also applied to half, two, five and ten bits; the half bit is the most common. This coin has been variously attributed to Gibraltar, Dominica and Martinique; we follow the SCWC in assigning it to Martinique.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: host coin: 3.38 g, 0.917 fine silver (before punching).
Catalog reference: KM 17.1 (under Martinique), Prid-19 (under Dominica).
- Byrne, Ray, Coins and Tokens of the Caribees, Decatur, IL: Jess Peters, Inc., 1975.
- Pridmore, F., The Coins of the British Commonwealth of Nations to the end of the Reign of George VI 1952: Part 3, Bermuda, British Guiana, British Honduras and the British West Indies, London: Spink & Son, 1965.
- Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
- [1]Cristiano Bierrenbach, Warren Tucker and Sam Spiegel, ANA WFOM World & Ancient Coins Platinum Night Signature Auction #3094, featuring the Cape Coral Collection, the WTR Collection and the Monaco Collection, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2021.
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