1791 Washington Liverpool Halfpenny. Musante GW-18, Baker-17A, W-10654. Pewter. AU-55 (PCGS).

28.8 mm. 156.8 grains. A rarity that we have only seen twice before when this piece appeared in our (Stack's) November 2006 sale of the Norweb Collection of Washingtoniana and our November 2022 sale of the Sydney F. Martin Collection. Its offering in the preceding sale was the first time this unique specimen had appeared at auction in more than a half century. After that, it was part of the Syd Martin Collection for more than 15 years. When we sold it 2006, it realized considerably more than we had anticipated, becoming the ninth highest price realized of the 136 Norweb lots, and among the highlights of that offering. Little has changed regarding this piece since that time, so we describe it here as we did then, with minor edits and additions: Even light pewter gray with attractive surfaces, not exactly lustrous but not dull in appearance either. Extremely sharp and well defined, unsurprising given the metallic composition. Each and every porthole is defined on the reverse and Washington's epaulet shows complete and distinct fringe. Further, the planchet is a full millimeter larger than the copper specimen in the preceding lot [Norweb:2018]. While a millimeter seems small, it means that the date is complete and the legends are likewise fully on the planchet. Some very faint pits are seen above the date and scattered in the fields and there are some minor hairlines, but it has very nice visual appeal overall. From a technical perspective, this pewter halfpenny is fascinating and significantly distinctive from the rare copper issues. The die rotation is different; this piece is medal turn, as opposed to the typical coin turn for copper specimens. The reverse die is different than that used on a normal Baker-17, though of the same general type with certain minor variations - a different wreath, lower sail on the main mast is raised and not lowered, rigging is slightly different, etc. Further, the obverse appears to be in an earlier die state than that seen on the copper specimens, with no patch of rust under the letters SHI in WASHINGTON, a much smaller rust pit between the letters WA of the same word, and other indications. Studying this piece next to a copper piece is instructive and engrossing. This die variety and the pewter composition are both considered unique, listed as such by Fuld (1965), Breen (1988), Fuld (1995), Rulau (1999), and Musante (2016), without so much as a rumor of another. This piece turned up in the B.G. Johnson estate and may trace its provenance back to one of the great collections he helped disperse, i.e. "Colonel" Green or Brand. It sold at auction twice in the early 1950s, bringing $72.50 in 1951, and was off the market until our 2006 sale, where it realized $103,500.

PCGS# 701.

Ex Burdette G. Johnson estate; Hans Schulman's sale of April 1951, lot 1077; New Netherlands Coin Co.'s 35th Sale, November 1951, lot 557; Oliver Futter (a New York cabbie); B. Max Mehl to Mrs. R. Henry Norweb; our (Stack's) sale of the Norweb Collection, November 2006, lot 2019; our sale of the Sydney F. Martin Collection, Winter 2022 Auction, November, lot 2016. Plated in Fuld (1995), Rulau (1999), and Musante (2016).

Estimate: $30000