1783 John Chalmers Threepence. W-1760. Rarity-5. AU-53+ (PCGS).9.5 grains. As choice as a circulated Chalmers threepence could possibly be, with beautiful toning, frosty surfaces, and exceptional detail. Shades of rose, navy blue, and pastel blue intermingle over deep antique gray fields. The strike is even and well-detailed, with ideal centering on the obverse (the handshake side) and only marginal misalignment toward 10 oclock on the reverse (the dated side). The reverse alignment loses some denticles at the upper left, but other design elements are crisp and complete. There are no marks, scratches, or lines to note, just luster-tinged perfection on both sides.The Chalmers coins were generally rather amateurishly made, and on the diminutive threepence the margin for error was particularly slim. Given all that could go wrong, from a clipped planchet to axial misalignment to an off-center strike, some weight must be put on manufacturing quality in addition to technical grade. This coin fills the ledger with positive qualities, leading the Laird Park cataloger to call this piece "an excellent little coin."PCGS Population: 2; 8 finer, just three of which are Mint State (MS-63 finest).From our (Stacks) sale of the Laird U. Park Collection, May 1976, lot 20; our sale of the Archangel Collection, October 2018 Baltimore Auction, lot 7056.
