| 1724 Twopence (pattern)$25,300, Choice AU, Stack’s Bowers auction, May 2005 |
The 1733 twopence is a pattern piece and bears the bust of George II facing to the left. It was issued by the successors to the coinage patent, as William Wood had died in 1730.
| 1733 Twopence (pattern), Proof$63,250, Gem PF, Stack’s Bowers auction, May 2005 |
Wood’s Hibernia Coinage
The type intended for Ireland had a seated figure with a harp on the reverse side and the word HIBERNIA. Denominations struck were farthing and halfpenny, with dates 1722, 1723, and 1724. Hibernia coins were unpopular in Ireland, so some of them were sent to the American colonies. Numerous varieties exist.
First Type
Second Type
1723, 3 Over 2
1724, Hibernia Farthing
1724, Hibernia Halfpenny
Virginia Halfpennies
In 1773, coinage of a copper halfpenny for Virginia was authorized by the Crown. The pattern, in Proof struck on a large planchet with a wide milled border, is often referred to as a penny. Most Mint State pieces are from the Colonel Cohen Hoard discussed on page 31.
The silver piece dated 1774 is referred to as a shilling, but may have been a pattern or trial for a halfpenny or a guinea.
Red uncirculated pieces without spots are worth considerably more.
1773, “Penny”
1774, “Shilling”
| PF | |
| 1773 “Penny” | $27,000 |
| 1774 “Shilling” (6 known) | 110,000 |
EARLY AMERICAN AND RELATED TOKENS
Elephant Tokens
London Elephant Tokens
The London Elephant tokens were struck circa 1672 to 1694. Although they were undated, two examples are known to have been struck over 1672 British halfpennies. Most were struck in copper, but one was made of brass. The legend on this piece, GOD PRESERVE LONDON, is probably just a general plea for divine aid and not a specific reference to the outbreak of plague in 1665 or the great fire of 1666.
These pieces were not struck for the colonies, and probably did not circulate widely in America, although a few may have been carried there by colonists. They are associated with the 1694 Carolina and New England Elephant tokens, through a shared obverse die.
Carolina Elephant Tokens
Although no law is known authorizing coinage for Carolina, two very interesting pieces known as Elephant tokens were made with the date 1694. These copper tokens were of halfpenny denomination. The reverse reads GOD PRESERVE CAROLINA AND THE LORDS PROPRIETERS 1694.
The second and more readily available variety has the last word spelled PROPRIETORS. The correction was made on the original die, for the E shows plainly beneath the O. The elephant’s tusks nearly touch the milling on the second variety.
The Carolina pieces were probably struck in England and perhaps intended as advertising to heighten interest in the Carolina Plantation.
New England Elephant Tokens
Like the Carolina tokens, the New England Elephant tokens are believed to have been struck in England as promotional pieces to increase interest in the American colonies.
New Yorke in America Token
The New Yorke in America token is a farthing or halfpenny token intended for New York, issued by Francis Lovelace, who was governor from 1668 until 1673. The token uses the older spelling with a final “e” (YORKE), which predominated before 1710. The obverse shows Cupid pursuing the butterfly-winged Psyche—a rebus on the name Lovelace. The reverse shows a heraldic eagle, identical to the one displayed in fesse, raguly (i.e., on a crenellated bar) on the Lovelace coat of arms. In weight, fabric, and die axis the tokens are similar to the 1670 farthing tokens of Bristol, England, where they may have been struck. There is no evidence that any of these pieces ever circulated in America.