View source for Gold Coast 1796 1/2 ackey

[[Image:CNG Triton 28-874 3.jpg|550px|thumb|CNG Triton XXVIII, part of lot 874]]

This specimen was part of lot 874 in CNG Triton XXVIII (New York, January 2025), where it sold for $23,275. The catalog description<sup>[1]</sup> noted, <blockquote>"COLONIAL AFRICA, British. [[Ghana|Gold Coast]]. George III. King of Great Britain, 1760-1820. AR Proof Set. Soho (Birmingham) mint. Dated 1796. Coat-of-arms / Crowned GR cypher over wreath. PARLIMENT in legend. AR Trade Ackey. In NGC encapsulation 6906866-008, graded PF 65 // AR Half Trade Ackey. In NGC encapsulation 6924407-013, graded PF 63 // AR Quarter Trade Ackey. In NGC encapsulation 6924407-014, graded PF 64 Cameo // AR Trade Taku. In NGC encapsulation 6924407-015, graded PF 64. All in NGC encapsulation. Four (4) coins in lot. From the Drewry Family Collection. Ex Coinhunter (C.E. Bullowa, 18 September 1984), lot 485-487.

<p>In October 1796, the Committee of the Company of Merchants Trading to Africa ordered five hundred pounds sterling worth of silver tokens to be struck for circulation in west Africa. Dies were prepared by Küchler and the shipment was sent to Africa later that year. In September 1801, the committee placed a second order of the same quantity, though with reduced silver standard of .890. The two issues share the same 1796 date, though the first issue misspells the word PARLIMENT in the obverse legend. Proofs of the first issue are extremely rare, with only 22-25 specimens being struck for collectors between 1796 and 1799. While the two issues of the Trade Taku cannot be visually distinguished, the specimen offered here is clearly a part of an original proof set of first issue coins."</p></blockquote> The dies were also used to make off metal strikes in bronze plated copper (KM Pn5) and gilt copper (KM Pn6). The issues with the spelling corrected to "PARLIAMENT" are catalogued as KM Tn5; these were struck in 1801 tho dated 1796. The Gold Coast was a major center of the slave trade in the eighteenth century but Britain abolished it in 1807. Ivory, gold and palm oil were thereafter the main trade items.

''Recorded mintage:'' 2,160 plus proofs.

''Specification:'' 7.77 g, 0.925 fine silver. 

''Catalog reference:'' this example: Vice 4A; KM Tn4. 

''[[Bibliography|Source:]]''
* Michael, Thomas, ''Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed.,'' Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
* <sup>[1]</sup>Gasvoda, Michael, Victor England, Eric McFadden, Dave Michaels, Bill Dalzell and Lance Hickman, ''Triton XXVIII,'' Lancaster, PA: Classical Numismatic Group, LLC, 2024.

''Link to:''
* [[Gold Coast 1796 1/4 ackey|1796 1/4 ackey]]
* [[Gold Coast 1796 ackey|1796 ackey]]
* [[Gold Coast 1796 tackoe|1796 tackoe]]
* [[Gold Coast 1818 1/2 ackey]]
* [[Gold Coast 1818 ackey]]
* [[Coins and currency dated 1796]]

[[Category:Selections from CNG sale Triton XXVIII]]