Rare CEORCIVS III REX / IMMUNE COLUMBIA Muling

1785 Machin's Mills George III / Immune Columbia Muling. Vlack 15-85NY, W-1995. Rarity-5+. VG-8 (PCGS).

121.8 grains. Here is an attractive and original VG quality example of this highly elusive type. Both sides are warmly toned in a blend of golden and medium-brown. Obverse impression tight to the left border, rectangular flan flaw at 8 o'clock obscures the C in CEORCIVS, remaining letters flush with the border and a bit weak, yet discernible. The Roman numeral III and REX are clear, bust well outlined. The reverse exhibits a clear date and near-fully legible COLUMBIA, IMMUNE very faint, seated figure partially outlined with some details lost to circulation. Shallow flan flaws just left of center on the reverse, wispy pin scratches and an overall rough texture are noted for both sides. All in all, however, the appearance is quite appealing for the type, and strong bids are certainly in order. The Vlack 15-85NY variety is one of the outstanding rarities in the Machin's Mills circulating counterfeit halfpenny series, but also stands at the busy intersection of the Nova Constellatio, Vermont, and Immune Columbia series. Most advanced collectors lack one of these, due to the extreme rarity of the type. We last handled this variety in our November 2019 Baltimore Auction, where the Robert M. Martin Collection specimen in PCGS VG Details realized $4,320. Our March 2013 sale of the Craige specimen, which was also ex Ryder and Boyd, resulted in a price of $23,500 for a particularly nice PCGS VF-20. Almost 10 years earlier, the incredible VF/EF Ford specimen brought $29,900 in our May 2004 sale. Several other examples have come to market in the years since, including the Newman specimen (NGC VG-10, Heritage November 2017:15020), but this Vlack number still remains an essential and challenging rarity for advanced Colonial specialists.

PCGS# 835. NGC ID: 2AZG.

Collector envelope with attribution notation included.