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1098

1777 Counterfeit George III British Halfpenny, Simian Family mule. 72.4 grains.

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money Start Price:25.00 USD Estimated At:NA
1777 Counterfeit George III British Halfpenny, Simian Family mule. 72.4 grains.
1777 Counterfeit George III British Halfpenny, Simian Family mule. 72.4 grains.Very Fine, a most unusual mule that pairs a Simian obverse with the usual hand-engraved legend and device, with a reverse that used prepared punches for the letters and numbers. The legends are full save for the A of BRITAN which is weak, while the date is sharp, a bonus on this variety. Good design detail in the obverse bust, the reverse figure weaker from die wear. Medium brown, a few minute striae on either side, but minimal marks from circulation. The reverse is something of a triple whammy of oddity – it is a non-regal date, a year in which no British halfpence were struck, but this die was also first used in the evasion copper series, where it was paired with an evasion obverse die that read GEORGE III REX (Cobwright G.0100 obverse, this reverse being Cobwright B.0530), then paired with this Simian counterfeit obverse. Finally, this reverse die originally had the word GILT engraved upside down, across the globe that Britannia sits upon – who knows why! The word was gouged out of the die by hand, making it look like a large internal cud in that area on struck coins, but traces of some letters can be seen – and the evasion obverse that this die was originally paired with also had the word GILT on it, below the bust and also reversed, though it was not gouged out of that die! One of the more curious mules in the series, crossing the counterfeit/evasion divide, and thus collected by specialists in both series. Though there are a small number of 1777-dated counterfeits, they are all quite rare, while this is the most available way to own that date with a counterfeit obverse (the evasion mule with this reverse is about equally scarce as this). This was the only 1777 in Neil’s collection, and we note that Syd Martin’s collection had an example of the evasion copper using this reverse, as well the variety that pairs this obverse with a 1775-dated reverse, but did not have this 1777-dated mule.
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