1773 Virginia Halfpenny. Newman 6-X, W-1610. No Period, 8 Harp Strings. MS-63 RB (PCGS).114.2 grains. A glorious survivor of this truly “colonial” coin, struck for the colony of Virginia but never authorized for distribution until the beginning of the Revolutionary War. Lustrous surfaces glow with mint color, faded a bit in areas but lively and bright around most design elements and across the reverse. A few little marks are seen, including an ancient and subtle horizontal scratch low on George’s jaw. Spotting is minimal and unobtrusive, with the only notable exception a single spot between the low curl and G of GEORGIVS. While Mint State Virginia halfpence are not terribly rare thanks to a cache that was never circulated before the American Revolution broke out and survived until the Civil War, ones with this much mint color and this kind of originality are rightly cherished.<p><p>From the E Pluribus Unum Collection.
