Undated (1659) Maryland Lord Baltimore Groat. W-1010, Breen-74, Hodder 1-A. Rarity-6. VG Details--Scratch (PCGS).15.1 grains. Baltimore groats are genuinely rare coins, so its not surprising that few turn up in American soil as proof of American circulation. We offered one in June 2008, a holed example that was recovered near the mouth of the Rappahannock River in Middlesex County, Virginia. This one is new to us, acquired by Syd 20 years ago, with recognition of its importance as an American-found piece. The surfaces are golden antique gray, a bit matte in appearance but not corroded or otherwise damaged by ground exposure. The strike is soft at the centers, particularly behind the portrait and on the right side of the shield. The centering is close to ideal on both sides, though the rim is a bit incomplete (as struck) at the left side of the obverse. A single heavy vertical scratch crosses the tip of Calverts nose, other minor scratches and scattered hairlines are pretty trivial. As rare as groats are, even without the interesting provenance, this ranks as a pretty decent one. <p><p>Accompanied by International Numismatic Society paperwork grading this piece Good-4.PCGS# 32.From the Sydney F. Martin Collection. Earlier found in Easton, Maryland in July 2002; from Christopher B. Young, July 2003.
