1775 Machins Mills Halfpenny. Vlack 4-75A, W-7780. Rarity-4. GEORGIVS III, Group I. AU-50 (PCGS).113.5 grains. A simply gorgeous piece, easily the single finest example of the date we have seen and considered by specialists to be the finest known. Boldly struck from an early state of the dies on a flawless planchet. Wonderful definition throughout with just a trace of light wear on the highest points of the coin. Perfectly smooth with no roughness or marks, and traces of actual mint gloss remain in the protected areas. Choice patina of golden-brown and olive, the color blended perfectly across each side. An impressive high grade coin through and through. Even at the rather conservative assessment of AU-50, this is the single finest graded of the 1775 date at either service. The PCGS EF-45 example we sold in November 2020 as part of the E Pluribus Unum Collection briefly held the top spot at PCGS and while it was an impressive piece, it was not at the same level of strike or surface quality as the present coin. Here is a truly exceptional Machins Mills halfpenny, worthy of the strongest bids.PCGS# 826950.From the Sydney F. Martin Collection. Earlier from eBay, September 2011. Plated to illustrate the Group I type in A Guide Book of United States Coins, 2023, p. 67. Plated to illustrate the variety in The History and Coinage of Machins Mills by Howes, Rosen, and Trudgen, 2020, p. 127.
