1785 Machins Mills Halfpenny. Immune Columbia Muling. Vlack 15-85NY, W-1995, Breen-1000. Rarity-6+. George III Obverse. VG Details--Damage (PCGS).107.68 grains. Irregular and somewhat egg-shaped from two straight cuts on opposite sides of the flan. The tops of CEORCIVS and all of IMMUNE are missing, but the central elements remain unscathed and bold. A thin split in the planchet descends from the obverse rim around 11 oclock, continuing down the jawline of "King George". Scattered old pinscratches show beneath a glass, remaining most prevalent around the waist of the reverse figure. Glossy in-hand and certainly satisfying for an example of this rare issue.<p><p><p>The Vlack 15-85NY variety is one of the outstanding rarities in the Machins Mills circulating counterfeit halfpenny series, but also stands at the busy intersection of the Nova Constellatio, Vermont, and Immune Columbia series. Most advanced collectors lack one of these, due to the extremely rarity of the type. We last handled this variety in our March 2013 sale of the Craige specimen, which was also ex Ryder and Boyd. That piece, graded VF-20 (PCGS), earned $23, 500. Almost 10 years earlier, the incredible VF/EF Ford specimen brought $29, 900 in our May 2004 sale. Several other examples have come to market in the years since, but this piece still remains an essential and challenging rarity for advanced Colonial specialists.From the Robert M. Martin Collection. Ex Heritages sale of The Old New England Collection, April 2014, lot 3770.
