Some more back story. I bought this with most of the money generated by the sale of 27 mid grade Standing Liberty quarters, 5 common modern commemorative silver dollars and 6 decent 20th century world silver crown-sized coins. I’d been wanting a vintage gold coin for many years and finally pulled the trigger.
Needed this to get to be within one coin of completing my 1840 mint set. All I need now is an 1840-O h10c with drapery. A pretty tough one to find in my price range.
I have always wanted a peace medal and this copy is about as close as I'll ever get. Photo and description courtesy of Stacks. My collection is starting to get into more esoteric items such as this example. Chief Red Jacket is considered to have been the finest statesman of the Iroquois Confederation. 1073 Lot Description 1902 Buffalo Historical Society Struck Copy of 1792 George Washington Indian Peace Medal. Copper, Silvered. Uniface. Baker-174F. Choice Mint State. 75.0 mm x 100.0 mm, oval. 124.36 grams. Integral loop and jump ring at 12 o'clock. A copy inspired by the famous original medal awarded to Seneca Chief Red Jacket by George Washington, which from 1895 until 2021 was the property of the Society. It was given to the Seneca Nation in 2021. Mottled deep gray and gold. Collectible and interesting, particularly given the extraordinary rarity of genuine oval George Washington Indian Peace medals. CACG- 1883 CC, MS-65, GSA. I rarely buy Silver Dollars because the cheeks always seem to have too much chatter. I made an exception for this one.
While at the mint today I also pick up some We the People Quarters and my Elongated coins also came in.
Finally got a nice CAC approved Isabella. Had to stretch on the price, I realized I was just never going to get an Isabella that I liked under $500. They way I did the math was thusly: Retail price of Base MS62 example: $525 CAC premium: $100 OGH premium: $50 my "bid" amount would be ~$675 CPG/CAC price guide: $700 I stretched to $750 to buy it from DLRC directly.
Interesting that the date is not on the slab. Newer ones have it. Never noticed that before. I hate those premiums just for the plastic and a little sticker. I only want the coin and I can tell if it's better for the grade myself. I've learned that if the description also says something about the old holder, don't bother bidding.
Don't have this coin in hand yet. I've been looking for this Colonial type for about a year. I violated @johnmilton advice to not buy red copper. This is the Newman 25-M die marriage, rated R-2. The interesting backstory on this issue is that Virginia was the only American colony that was granted regal authority to coin it's own money, in the original colony charter of 1606 by King James. The colony didn't act on the authority until 1645 when they passed legislation to make two, three, six and ninepence. But they didn't have any money coined. Then again, in 1769, the House of Burgesses passed an act to mint copper coins in England. Designs were created in 1772 and in 1773 the Crown authorized the coinage of halfpence for Virginia. Minted at the Tower Mint to the tune of about 672,000 coins. The coins arrived in Virginia in 1744 aboard, aptly enough, the ship Virginia. Probably weren't released to circulation until early 1775, about the time that revolutionary fever was heating up. There are many circulated examples out there showing they were used in Colonial and Federation commerce. Several hoards have been reported over the years but one that is most likely is a reputed 5000 uncirculated coins found in the 19th century. This coin is likely/maybe part of that hoard but really no way to tell.
@Publius2, the Virginia half penny in my collection is quite similar. I bought this one raw about 40 years ago and had it slabbed circa 2000. The grade is PCGS MS-63, R&B. As you know, this is a hoard coin with several hundred examples with much the same look. The all Brown ones are harder to find. Since it has not changed in 40 years, the dipper either did a very good job, or it's original. (much more likely) My problem with red copper is the processed stuff, which is sometimes hard to catch. It's more likely to turn color after it has been messed with. When it does that, you can be out a lot of money.
Just to follow up on precessed red copper. Years ago I saw two "Proof Indian Cents" which were in a PCGS holder which were in the inventory of a very well known dealer. The holders both contained a pile of dust. The stuff the coin doctors had used on the coins, and not properly rinsed off, had literally eaten both coins. That's the worst I've ever seen. I don't know what they looked like when they went into the holders. I got burned on an 1853 large cent which was graded "MS-64, Red." It did have a great look, and a copper expert told me that it was among the finest known for the Newcomb variety. W ithin three months, the thing was mostly Brown. Lesson noted and learned. I am sure this is one of the reasons why NGC no longer gurantees the color on copper. In fact their whole guantee for copper goes "Poof!" in ten years. I've been to the school of hard knocks a few times. I try to prevent others from paying tuition at that school.