1788 Vermont Copper. RR-25, Bressett 16-U, W-2195. Rarity-2. Bust Right—Overstruck on 1782 Irish Halfpenny. AU-50 (PCGS). 109.8 grains. Later die state, with die break on obverse extending into field from obverse effigys chest. A superb example of RR-25, glossy, lustrous, and closer to Mint State than to AU; we could more easily see this coin in an AU-58 encapsulation. The devices are worn only at the high points, and any weakness in the devices is due more to the commingling of the designs with its Irish host than to circulation wear. The golden-brown surfaces show preserved original mint red color in VERMON AUCTORI, much more than in your average Vermont copper at this grade level. The overstriking is a delight to behold on this high grade coin, with the legends and devices of the host coin flattened out by the Vermont strike, but still quite completely visible due to the contrast of the hosts details with the fields, a contrast that quickly disappears with a bit of circulation wear but is preserved here because of the essential lack of wear. The profiles of the Vermont effigy and King George line up in such a way that, depending on the angle of the light, one perceives one or the other but not both at the same time. The boldly visible, essentially vertically placed harp strings of the host coin make the reverse reminiscent of the Britannia-in-a-basket reverse of the 1783-dated Georgivs Triumpho coppers. A number of AU examples of RR-25 exist, such as the primary Ford and Garrett coins, the Cole example, and a lovely if slightly flawed AU-55 that we sold in our November 2022 auction of the Harold Hauser Collection, all of which were non-overstruck examples. This is among the finest of the overstrikes and is reminiscent of the ex-1976 MANA sale specimen called "About Uncirculated, or finer" we offered in our (Stacks) September 2006 auction. PCGS# 687738. <strong>To view supplemental information and all items from the Sydney F. Martin Collection, click<a href="https://stacksbowers.com/sydney-f-martin-collection/"target=’_blank’> here.</a></strong> From the Sydney F. Martin Collection. Earlier Anthony Terranova; Stacks Rare Coins, January 2008. Recorded by Syd as being from the Hinkley Collection, but it doesnt match any of the specimens sold in our (Bowers and Merenas) 2001 auction of the Hinkley coins.
