Heritage World Coin Auctions
ANA Signature US Coin Sale 1258 2-6 Aug 2017
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Colonials
1787 N YORK New York Excelsior Copper, George Clinton, W-5790, Low R.7, Fine 15 PCGS Secure. Ex: Green-Roper-Steinberg. 144.8 grains. A Revolutionary War hero, George Clinton (1739-1812) served as vice-president under Thomas Jefferson and James Madison from 1805 until his death in 1812. George Clinton (1739-1812) was a colonial American soldier and statesman who was serving as New York governor when this piece was minted at Machin's Mills.
Captain Thomas Machin petitioned the New York State Assembly on March 3, 1787 for the right to produce copper coinage authorized by the state of New York. As George Clinton was governor at the time, it is likely that his image on these coins represented an attempt for his favor. The Clinton coppers, part of the Excelsior series, were produced in limited quantities and were likely never intended for circulation.
The New York Clinton coppers are extremely rare. When we offered the Mint State Eric P. Newman coin three years ago, we presented a roster of 11 distinctly different pieces, including two examples in the British Museum, one in the Smithsonian Institution, and one owned by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. That leaves just seven pieces in collector's hands, and three of those are Uncirculated or nearly so, further supporting the hypothesis that these pieces are patterns. Only four circulated examples are available to collectors, including two VF to XF pieces, this one graded Fine 15, and an example that grades Fair and may have been a pocket piece. The virtually flawless surfaces of this example are far finer than any of the other circulated pieces. Our roster also recorded a number of older appearances of the Clinton cent that cannot be matched to those currently enumerated examples.
The present offering is the third appearance of a Clinton copper in the last five years. Prior to that, examples were sold in 2000, 1990, 1989, 1983, and 1982. Six other auction appearance round out every known example offered in the last 50 years. Just 21 auction appearances have taken place in the last 100 years since the Allison Jackman sale in 1918. Advanced colonial specialists should be prepared to bid on this piece, one of only four that PCGS has certified.
Aside from a trivial rim bruise at 7 o'clock, this is an extraordinary coin for the grade with smooth chocolate-brown surfaces and insignificant marks that are only visible with magnification. The overall appearance is suggestive of a pocket piece, rather than a coin that actually circulated. Perhaps this was George Clinton's pocket piece!
Ex: Col. E.H.R. Green; Robert Prann Collection (1947 ANA, Numismatic Gallery, 8/1947), lot 602; John L. Roper, 2nd (Stack's, 12/1983), lot 274; Gilbert Steinberg Collection (Stack's, 10/1989), lot 103; Stack's (1990 FPL), lot 135; John "Jack" Royse Collection (Stack's, 11/2012), lot 6056.
From The Don Willis Collection of US Colonial Coinage
HID02901242017
1787 N YORK New York Excelsior Copper, George Clinton, W-5790, Low R.7, Fine 15 PCGS Secure. Ex: Green-Roper-Steinberg. 144.8 grains. A Revolutionary War hero, George Clinton (1739-1812) served as vice-president under Thomas Jefferson and James Madison from 1805 until his death in 1812. George Clinton (1739-1812) was a colonial American soldier and statesman who was serving as New York governor when this piece was minted at Machin's Mills.
Captain Thomas Machin petitioned the New York State Assembly on March 3, 1787 for the right to produce copper coinage authorized by the state of New York. As George Clinton was governor at the time, it is likely that his image on these coins represented an attempt for his favor. The Clinton coppers, part of the Excelsior series, were produced in limited quantities and were likely never intended for circulation.
The New York Clinton coppers are extremely rare. When we offered the Mint State Eric P. Newman coin three years ago, we presented a roster of 11 distinctly different pieces, including two examples in the British Museum, one in the Smithsonian Institution, and one owned by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. That leaves just seven pieces in collector's hands, and three of those are Uncirculated or nearly so, further supporting the hypothesis that these pieces are patterns. Only four circulated examples are available to collectors, including two VF to XF pieces, this one graded Fine 15, and an example that grades Fair and may have been a pocket piece. The virtually flawless surfaces of this example are far finer than any of the other circulated pieces. Our roster also recorded a number of older appearances of the Clinton cent that cannot be matched to those currently enumerated examples.
The present offering is the third appearance of a Clinton copper in the last five years. Prior to that, examples were sold in 2000, 1990, 1989, 1983, and 1982. Six other auction appearance round out every known example offered in the last 50 years. Just 21 auction appearances have taken place in the last 100 years since the Allison Jackman sale in 1918. Advanced colonial specialists should be prepared to bid on this piece, one of only four that PCGS has certified.
Aside from a trivial rim bruise at 7 o'clock, this is an extraordinary coin for the grade with smooth chocolate-brown surfaces and insignificant marks that are only visible with magnification. The overall appearance is suggestive of a pocket piece, rather than a coin that actually circulated. Perhaps this was George Clinton's pocket piece!
Ex: Col. E.H.R. Green; Robert Prann Collection (1947 ANA, Numismatic Gallery, 8/1947), lot 602; John L. Roper, 2nd (Stack's, 12/1983), lot 274; Gilbert Steinberg Collection (Stack's, 10/1989), lot 103; Stack's (1990 FPL), lot 135; John "Jack" Royse Collection (Stack's, 11/2012), lot 6056.
From The Don Willis Collection of US Colonial Coinage
HID02901242017