1788 1/2P Machin's, Vlack 23-88A, BN MS(PCGS#826967)

November 2020 U.S. Coins Auction

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

4177

Grade

XF40BN

Price

1,440

Lot Description

1788 Machin's Mills Halfpenny. Vlack 23-88A, W-8100. Rarity-2. GEORGIVS III, Group III--Double Struck--EF-40 (PCGS). 86.0 grains. Double struck on a wafer-thin flan, one of the lightest examples of this issue we have seen and very possibly one of the lightest Machin's Mills halfpence in existence. Second strike is a little over 10% off-center and slightly rotated between strikes, giving the impression that Britannia is in motion on the reverse. Pale, steely brown surfaces show golden highlights where most worn, which softens the microscopic granularity on both sides. A small number of amazing major errors are known in the series, including overstrikes of one die marriage atop another and visual double strikes such as this one, which is the most eye-catching major error we have sold in over a decade. Provenance: From the E Pluribus Unum Collection. PCGS# 472 and #826967.