1771 Machins Mills Halfpenny. Vlack 2-71A, W-7670. Rarity-4. GEORGIVS III, Group I. VF-25 (PCGS).125.0 grains. Never fully struck, never ideally centered, and never with choice surfaces, Vlack 2-71A is one of those die marriages where compromise is essential to find a fitting example. This dark brown specimen is just that compromise, inasmuch as the strike and centering are about as good as can be readily found for the variety, and its coffee brown and quite smooth surfaces are far above average. A minor pit below B and in front of Britannias neck are noted for future pedigree matching. Even the lovely Newman coin graded EF-40 by NGC is not perfect, nor is the superb AU-for-the-variety example pictured in Jack Howes plate of Machins Mills halfpence. This example offers similarly fine surface quality but with a bit more circulation wear.<p>From the E Pluribus Unum Collection.
