1771 Machin's Mills Halfpenny. Vlack 4-71D, W-7700. Rarity-8-. GEORGIVS III, Group I. VG-10 (PCGS).
97.2 grains. Among the very rarest varieties in the Machin's Mills series, the seldom seen 4-71D was not discovered until 1990 when Frank Steimle identified an example and reported the new die pair in the October 1990 issue of The Colonial Newsletter. Just three specimens are known today, "all in low grade" as the Whitman Encyclopedia and the Howes, Rosen, Trudgen reference states. To the best of our knowledge this is the first auction appearance of any of the three examples. This variety features Vlack obverse 4 seen most often on the 1775 4-75A variety and also on the rare 1771 4-71C, but here combined with a peculiar-looking reverse not seen in any other combination. The layout of the legends and shape of the date, with its leaning 1s and long straight tops of the 7s, are similar to the 71C reverse, but the seated figure of Britannia is distinctive with a disproportionately large head and oddly shaped lower body and torso. This pleasing example has glossy pale brown surfaces with no serious marks and just a small amount of minor porosity on each side. The date and legends are full, the devices fairly bold if moderately worn. A Fine grade would seem more appropriate to most. Clearly a higher quality piece than the dark and heavily porous discovery example illustrated in the Whitman Encyclopedia. This is quite possibly the best example extant and one of the leading highlights of Syd Martin's Machin's Mills coppers.
PCGS# 914451.
From the Sydney F. Martin Collection. Earlier ex George Siefert; Dennis Wierzba; Dave Wnuck, August 2004. Plated to illustrate the variety in The History and Coinage of Machin's Mills by Howes, Rosen, and Trudgen, 2020, p. 112.

Estimate: $20000