1796 Tkn 1/2P Myddelton, Copper, BN PR(PCGS#646)

Spring 2023 U.S. Coins Auction

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

1249

Grade

PR64BN

Price

19,200

Lot Description

Beautiful Copper Myddelton Token Proof-64 BN (PCGS) 1796 Myddelton Token. Copper. W-8900, Breen-1074. Proof-64 BN (PCGS). 168.7 grains. Another exceptional survivor from Kuchler's magnificently executed dies. Boldly reflective medium chocolate brown, a bit lighter milk chocolate brown on the reverse. Fully struck on both sides and simply beautiful. A raking light reveals fine iridescence and faded mint color at the peripheries. A little line is noted under H SET in the left obverse field, a few toning spots are natural and untroubling, and the couple of contact marks in the middle of the obverse field are truly trivial, even with magnification. This example would be a very challenging one to upgrade. We haven't sold a copper Myddelton token in Proof-64 or finer since 2010. Myddelton conceived these pieces as halfpence, making copper the natural composition (and, arguably, the more attractive one) despite the fact that these appear to be rarer than silver strikes. While this concept never came to be issued as any kind of circulating token, either in England or Kentucky, this is the variety than comes closest to its original intentions. Provenance: From the Sydney F. Martin Collection. Earlier ex the Lawrence R. Stack Collection, November 2006. PCGS Population: 3; 6 finer (MS-65 BN finest). To view supplemental information and all items from the Sydney F. Martin Collection, click here. PCGS# 646. Click here for certification details from PCGS. Image with the PCGS TrueView logo is obtained from and is subject to a license agreement with Collectors Universe, Inc. and its divisions PCGS and PSA.