Undated (1717) Pre-Patent Rosa Americana Pattern Halfpenny. Martin 1-A, W-1200. Rarity-7+. AU Details--Environmental Damage (PCGS).

66.0 grains. The first in this remarkable offering of a complete set of all denominations and die varieties of the enigmatic and extremely rare 1717 Pre-Patent Rosa Americana coinage, the first such offering since the Ford sale. This is a very sharp example of the elusive halfpenny denomination, sharper than the primary Ford coin that is considered the finest known, though with inferior surfaces. Microgranular medium to dark brown surfaces with two patches of corrosion on the obverse that contain some verdigris. The reverse is more even looking, though slightly rough overall and with a bit of white and tan discoloration, perhaps lightly smoothed in the open fields. Very few marks and little to no wear on the sharply struck detail. An impressive example despite the imperfect surfaces. Martin records just five specimens of this type, one of which is in the Smithsonian and another untraced. We sold the primary Ford coin mentioned above, ex Crosby-Parmelee-Norweb, in our November 2016 sale of the Carolina Colonial Coin Collection where it was graded PCGS AU-53 and realized $9,400. The first offering of this piece since the Ford sale represents a significant and fleeting opportunity to obtain an example of the denomination. These pre-patent pieces are cherished by specialists as seldom seen relics of the earliest efforts of William Wood to obtain a coinage contract for the American colonies.

PCGS# 905760.

From the Sydney F. Martin Collection. Earlier ex Lyman Allyn Museum; our (Stack's) December 1971 sale, lot 4; our (Stack's) sale of the John L. Roper Collection, December 1983, lot 74; our (Stack's) sale of the John J. Ford, Jr. Collection, Part IX, May 2005, lot 163. Plated in the Martin reference "The Rosa Americana Coinage of William Wood," p. 63.