1792 Pattern Washington Half Dollar by Peter Getz. Musante GW-22, Baker-25. Copper. Plain Edge. Fine Details-Excessive Corrosion (PCGS).The surfaces are heavily granular but mostly evenly so with just a few small areas of more pronounced roughness. In spite of this, virtually all of the design features can be either readily seen or detected upon close study. The central motifs are clearest, as they were in the highest relief to begin with. The reverse legends are fairly clear, while those on the obverse are a bit weaker. The date is complete, however. Both sides are very dark brown, virtually slate, but with highlights of deep mahogany from a bit of post-discovery handling. The obverse is nicely centered while the reverse is centered slightly low and to the right, but only the tips of the letters of AMERICA are affected. <p>These coinage proposals by Peter Getz are among the most favored early Washington pieces as they tie the broadly collected Washington portrait theme to the birth of the coinage of the United States. While it is widely known that Washington did not wish for his portrait to be on any circulating coin and these proposals were not adopted, they remain an important part of the story that led to the development of the first U.S. Mint in Philadelphia and are enthusiastically sought after. This one was very sharp indeed when it went into the ground, probably a nice Extremely Fine or AU example lost about the same the nation lost Washington himself. It was found within the last decade in the ground in New Hampshire, and has never before been offered for public sale.
