1783 Contemporary Imitation Halfpenny. George III English Type. Ringo 25-83A. Fine to Very Fine.95.2 grains. When sold as part of the January 2008 Auction of the Michael K. Ringo Collection, this coin was described as:<p>A star among Mikes counterfeits, a prime specimen of this rare variety. Dark glossy olive green with light brown devices on a slightly oblong planchet. Patina consistent with a ground find, glossy despite microscopic granularity. The obverse legend is essentially complete, including the backwards S in GEORGIVS, though R of REX is obliterated by a swelling that is connected to a break at the nose. The portrait, often-compared to Connecticut M. 2.3-T among scholars of the series, is relatively well-defined. (Bidders will recall that CT M. 2.3-T sold in the Ford IX sale for a stout $92,000). The similarity of the maxillofacial structures of this variety and Miller 2.3-T are easy to recognize, as is the exaggerated base of Britannias shield and the lollipop tree look of the olive branch on the reverse. The reverse figure is as crude as any in the series, with a squat neck, fat forearm and three-fingered hand, and unusual shield. Striking softness eliminates the legs of Britannia and 17 of the date, but the distinctive 83 is clear to the naked eye. Called Rarity-8 by Ringo, there appear to be just a few specimens from these dies known today. It has long been one of the most famous pieces in the Ringo Collection, here offered for the first time at public auction.<p>A few specimens are known today, including a sharp but very rough grounder that we sold in our (Stacks) January 2009 Americana Sale, exactly one year after the Ringo specimen made headlines at a price realized of nearly $11,000. We recall first seeing an example of this variety, and maybe this very coin, at Mike Ringos bourse table at a summer ANA convention in the 1990s, circling back several times to gaze upon a most remarkable coin. Of all counterfeit halfpence with a claim to having been produced in the early United States, this has the strongest, with its strong similarities to the 1786 Bungtown Counterfeit halfpenny and 1786 Bungtown Connecticut coppers. This was one of the stars of the Ringo Collection as well as the Syd Martin Collection, and it will the star of one lucky new owners collection when the hammer falls on auction day. <p>From the Sydney F. Martin Collection. Earlier ex Jim King; our (Stacks) sale of the Michael K. Ringo Collection, January 2008 Americana Sale, lot 5972.
