Halfpenny

[Martin1982]

Hi
Can anyone tell me about this 1776 halfpenny?very unusual as it as the wrong george on the reverse for the date of that coin.thanks

 

[ironhorse]

it's a counterfeit of an Irish half penny

 

[l.cutler]

Agreed, crudely made Irish halfpenny. The makers often didn't worry about the details.

 

[vpnavy]

I moved this request from General Discussion over to What Is It? for more exposure.

 

[Bramblefind]

This coin is a known variety and is part of the GEORGUIS family of non-regal coppers. This family includes Irish and English varieties and coins with outright evasive legends as well as coins that have more standard legends (as with counterfeits).

This being a mule design with the popular date of 1776 it would likely have increased value. Maybe $30-$80? It depends on who needs one for their collection.

There will be a book coming out (someday) about the counterfeit/evasion halfpenny families and I think this family will be included in it.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Traditionally a bride put one in her shoe on her wedding day. Some dress-shops handed out the ha'penny as a memento.

(The original rhyme called for six pence in her shoe - deflation for you and crossover with a Christmas Carol. "If you haven't got a ha'penny then God bless you").

 

[Iron Patch]

This coin is a known variety and is part of the GEORGUIS family of non-regal coppers. This family includes Irish and English varieties and coins with outright evasive legends as well as coins that have more standard legends (as with counterfeits).

This being a mule design with the popular date of 1776 it would likely have increased value. Maybe $30-$80? It depends on who needs one for their collection.

There will be a book coming out (someday) about the counterfeit/evasion halfpenny families and I think this family will be included in it.

I had to read your 2nd line a few times because I thought you were suggesting it was a mule, which of course confused me with both dies being Irish. I was ready to ask if that was based on one side being from the traditional non regal ctfts and the other being part of the evasions. But after a thinking for a minute, that 1776 reverse looks like the one muled with the British George III bust? ...and that's what you are referring to? You know that's something I have never thought much about... the cross-over between the two, and I'm guessing a book would be based on a minimal amount of families and a lot of coins rather than many families.... but then again the non regal counterfeits have been so well established now it's much easier to make the connection when a coin has one regal legend, and one that's not, and everyone had always assumed it was just as evasion. I can't even think right now if many had usual legends... because if not then I guess it wouldn't have been that difficult. My gut feeling is evasions were usually obvious on each side, and I guess that is sort of obvious because the whole idea was to evade. It's early here... so I'm not going to bother to edit any of this.

 

[CRUSADER]

I know the Mule bit got me thinking too,,,,lol