1785 Contemporary Imitation Halfpenny. George III English Type. Newman 51-85C. Very Good.111.6 grains. A very pleasant, two-tone specimen of this die pairing, the devices a light olive brown standing out against darker brown fields, the surfaces a bit granular, especially on the reverse where the grain has softened the peripheral details. A die combination that was listed in Newmans original 1988 article, which had made a case for the exclusive American circulation of the 1785 halfpence that is no longer thought to be true; for auction appearances, we know of only the 1998 Ringo specimen, which was sharper but similarly grainy, and the Newman Collection coin, which was a rather sharp VF with a touch of scale on the reverse. Rare, as are all die pairings of 1785 halfpence.From the Sydney F. Martin Collection. Earlier ex Clem Schettino, September 2011.
