Colonel Cohen Hoard of 1773 Virginia Halfpennies

Hello,

I just read in the Red Book about the above-mentioned hoard that was found sometime in the 1870s. Colonel Mendel I. Cohen, a Baltimore numismatist, obtained a cache of at least 2200 unc 1773 Virginia halfpennies. These passed through several hands and many pieces were dispersed along the way. As a result these are the only colonial (pre-1776) American coins that can be easily obtained in Mint State.

Could this pictured coin come from this hoard or is it too worn?

Thanks!

 

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I don't see why not , Is it me or are TPG companies more lenient on Colonials ? Are you worried about center of the Obverse?

 

I think that probably is one of those pieces, although, no offense, it's a below average piece. Most them are MS-63 and 64 R&B coins. Here is one of them.

 

I believe it probably is from the hoard, but the hoard was dispersed a long time ago and that piece has had some light handling in the intervening years.

 

Thanks! Its certainly not a Mint State specimen, perhaps AU? I dont know enough about the hoard to say if it also exist plenty of circulated specimens out there - thus making it less likely that this one is from that hoard. If the hoard-pieces were mint state this one must have been worn after its discovery - which is less likely when it was discovered as late as the 1870s...?

Yours a really nice piece by the way!

 

Perhaps you can match the "EM" on the bust to a known hoard coin.

 

I'd put it between XF-45 and AU-53. As someone else said, a lot of TPGs are fairly lenient with early coppers, so it might land in the AU range if you send it in.

 

What do you mean by "EM"?

 

Old authentication diagnostic shorthand term from 1970's. I got to make up all sorts of terms to describe characteristics we saw in coins. Most numismatists have never heard of them. EM: Extra Metal = shorthand for "extraneous metal."

It is usually something like raised lumps on the coin that does not belong there. In this case the EM is from die rust. It is all over the inside of the shield on the "red" copper. So when writing up a description of that die for my records I would include EM inside shield, large lump mid-bottom of vertical, etc.

 

I have seen some heavily circulated Virginia half pennies. They were used, but most of the survivors seem to be Unc. and AU.

The piece you have is probably a hoard coin that has received some “numismatic circulation.” Maybe somebody tried make it red again at some point.

 

Wonderful! Thanks - good to learn something new everyday

 

Agreed I saw the rusted dies too. I’d call it AU

 

Thanks for your assessment! I will try to do some more research on the coin and see if I can find a "EM-match".

Also I read from University of Notre Dame Libraries that about 667 thousand pieces arrived February 14, 1774, but assume most were well circulated.
https://coins.nd.edu/ColCoin/ColCoinIntros/VA-halfd.intro.html

 

I always get a kick out of the term "easily" obtained. You want a MS example it's $1500- $2k. You want a worn example you can barely read it's $50. Take your pick. If only looking at pre-1776 stuff its relatively more common...buuut not that common.

 

Hehe, yeah...I guess the term "easily" obtained is relative. I guess what Q. David Bowers meant when writing that (I just quoted from Red Book), that they are obtainable, but of course still a relatively expensive coin in that grade.

 

There are some coins that are very hard to find, even if you have the money. I have run into that many times, and I have been mostly a type collector.

The 1907 High Relief is "easy to find." You can to to any major coin show and take your pick. Of course the price for one without problems starts at $10 thousand.

Perhaps "easy to find" is more accurate than "easy to purchase."

 

Actually I have a heavily circulated example somewhere that I bought for maybe $5 or so. I have bought obviously seeded by the dealer Connecticut and New York coppers for a quarter out of junk boxes. The dealer that sold me the Connecticut copper said it had been in the box for 10-15 years before I came along.

 

In my considered opinion the Red Book has information but no ability to determine the rarity of coins. WITNESS =- The 1950-d nickel was reported to be rare even before it was available so nearly the entire run was held by collectors and never circulated. If you attempt to find one in less than MS you will search for many years before you find one. If you try to buy one you may have to pay more than MS price to do it. Thus it is easily proven that genuine circulated specimens are much rarer than MS beauties. In the case of the OP coin there are a known number of MS specimens and a much lower number of lower grade specimens. You could check the numbers listed in the TPG census reports to get an idea but I would prefer that I had the rarer one regardless of what the red book folks say. Nice find OP.

 

Here's another one, no EM though

 

I would totally agree with your "easy to find" designation - and "easy to purchase" if you have the funds for it

Looking at the Stacks Bowers E Pluribus Unum auction yesterday, the 4 examples they sold are all in the range you suggested.