1722 1/2 P Rosa Americana, Martin 1.1-A.1 MS(PCGS#905563)

Winter 2022 U.S. Coins Auction

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

1155

等级

AU55

价格

38,984

详细说明

Choice 1722 VTILE DVLCI Halfpenny 1722 Rosa Americana Halfpenny. Martin 1.1-A.1, W-1214. Rarity-6+. VTILE DVLCI. AU-55 (PCGS). 58.0 grains. A top notch example of this rare and significant major variety. Glossy, slightly lustrous deep chocolate-brown surfaces with vivid brassy-yellow highlighting much of the detail. Nicely struck and little worn. Excellent surface quality and eye appeal, the only minor imperfections are a short planchet crack from the rim over R in GRATIA to the nose and at the corresponding area of the reverse through the first 2 of the date, as well as some old scratches in the field under the 22 and RO. This is the highest graded of six seen by PCGS, and just two have been graded at NGC, a VG-10 and an MS-61 BN. Syd recorded eight examples and accordingly rated the variety R-5. However, unlike other more trivial die varieties, the number known of such a major and well known variety as this is often much closer to the actual population. There are likely no more than 15 to 20 specimens known and a Rarity-6+ rating seems more appropriate. This is one of the nicer ones among them and a desirable example of this important Guide Bookvariety. Additional information pertaining to this lot: Rosa Americana Coinage Stack's Bowers Galleries is proud to present the Sydney F. Martin Collection of Rosa Americana coinage, inarguably the most significant, extensive, and complete collection ever formed. This series was one of Syd's great passions and he authored the standard reference The Rosa Americana Coinage of William Woodin 2011, a groundbreaking masterwork. The 136 lots to follow represent decades of meticulous research and the relentless pursuit of the finest, rarest, and most interesting specimens. The Rosa Americana coins were the product of William Wood (1671-1730), an enterprising English merchant active in mining and coining ventures. He was also responsible for the Hibernia coinage of 1722-1724 and coinages for the Isle of Man. Wood was granted a royal patent in July 1722 to produce halfpenny, penny, and twopence coins for use in Britain's North American colonies. While the coinage was far from successful in many ways - the coins were not readily accepted in American commerce and Wood's London mint was destroyed by fire in June 1723 curtailing production - the numismatic legacy and desirability of the Rosa Americanas has fared much better in the ensuing centuries. With their fascinating history, elegant design, specifically American legend, and unique metallic composition, the Rosa Americana series has captivated collectors since the dawn of the American numismatic hobby. They were among the most prized coin series for many early collectors including Sylvester Sage Crosby, Charles Ira Bushnell, and Lorin G. Parmelee, and Rosa Americana rarities would routinely bring some of the highest prices in auctions of the time. As a result, numerous pieces in the pages to follow feature illustrious pedigrees, some with provenances back to auctions of the 1870s and plate appearances as far back as the 1860s. The series is replete with wonderful pattern issues of great beauty and rarity, as well as a plethora of interesting trial strikes and off-metal pieces, all of which are well represented in this sale. Syd's assemblage of the major types in fabulous grade along with an incredible selection of the most celebrated patterns puts his collection easily on par with the great Rosa collections of all time, those of Parmelee, Garrett, Norweb, and Ford. But what sets the Syd Martin cabinet apart and elevates it above all others is the comprehensive body of die varieties across all denominations and issues it contains, as well as the incredible selection of extremely rare trial strikes, off metal pieces, errors, and other anomalies, all of which served as essential reference material for the writing of his book and in the process created what can undoubtedly be considered the ultimate Rosa Americana collection. The ordering of Rosa Americana coins in catalogs and reference books has always posed a challenge. One will find almost as many different organizations of the series as there are works that list them. We have ordered them in a way that largely follows the organization of the series in Syd's book, with the added consideration of Red Bookvarieties as a popular framework for the series. The Pre-Patent coins of 1717 come first. Readers are encouraged to consult chapter 4 in the Martin reference for more information on these enigmatic coins. The remainder of the series, 1722-1733, is ordered in the following way: first by denomination, then by date within each denomination, then by Red Bookvariety within each date, and lastly by Martin die variety attributions within each Red Bookvariety. This order is irrespective of "pattern" issues versus "regular" issues, as those categories are impossible to fully define within the context of this series, and we feel that separating out supposed "patterns" takes away from the overall picture and story of the coinage. We list rarity ratings for every variety, the basis for which is the Martin book, although we have updated some based on new discoveries and the now more than a decade of auction records and other data that has given a better sense of the availability of different varieties attributed by Martin numbers. Enjoy the incredible collection to follow and we encourage you to look anew on this delightful and historically significant series, which is in many ways the epitome of an American "colonial" coinage. There will be something for every taste and budget, from inexpensive pieces collected by Syd as new die varieties to esoteric die trials offering a window into the coins' production, from totally unique patterns and seldom seen compositions to the exalted rarities of the series in top grades. Provenance: From the Sydney F. Martin Collection. Earlier from our (Bowers and Merena's) Four Landmark Collections sale, March 1989, lot 5032; our (Stack's) sale of the John P. Lorenzo Collection, January 2008 Americana Sale, lot 5588. Obverse plated in the Martin reference "The Rosa Americana Coinage of William Wood," p. 86. PCGS# 905563. Click here for certification details from PCGS. Image with the PCGS TrueView logo is obtained from and is subject to a license agreement with Collectors Universe, Inc. and its divisions PCGS and PSA.