I get way too many people contacting me asking about colonial coins; I'm far from qualified. This looks like a 1776 Halfpenny but none were struck (to my knowledge) in these years in G. Britain. I thought it might then be a Machin Mill's but I see only 2 known and I don't think this coin looks anything like this. Anybody know of any non-Machin counterfeit 1776 halfpenny? Another thought I had is maybe it is not a 1776 but a 1775. It sure looks like a"6" but might be a masked "5"?
I thought about that and I don't know if different reverses in 1775 but pictures on NGC of a 1775 halfpenny do not match this reverse (placement of date, where the staff comes down, etc).
I tend to agree, though I can see why it looks like a "1776" evasion copper or contemporary counterfeit, which I could also imagine. The quality of contemporary counterfeits varied so widely I have a tough time telling for sure sometimes.
It is a 1775, but could be a counterfeit. I believe that is one of the most common counterfeit dates.
