'1776'' 1/2P Machin's Mills Half Penny

Coin Details

Description

Bearing the backdated date of 1776 — the year of American independence — this Machin's Mills halfpenny was actually produced circa 1787-1790 at Thomas Machin's private mint along Moodna Creek near Newburgh, New York. Cataloged by Vlack and listed as Whitman 7710, the piece imitates a British George III halfpenny, with the regal bust on the obverse and seated Britannia on the reverse adapted from the contemporary British coinage. The choice of 1776 as the die date was almost certainly deliberate — it gave the coin the appearance of a pre-war British piece while also carrying patriotic resonance for the American market. Machin's operation, established in partnership with several investors including Captain Thomas Machin himself (a former Continental Army officer and engineer), produced lightweight copper imitations designed to pass in commerce alongside genuine British halfpennies and various state coppers. Struck in copper, the coin weighs approximately 7.5 grams with a 28 mm diameter and plain edge. Cataloged as PCGS #460. Classified as scarce, this 1776-dated issue holds particular appeal for collectors drawn to the intersection of numismatics and Revolutionary War history, as the date evokes the founding moment of the republic even though the coin itself was struck over a decade later. The Vlack reference system catalogs these imitation halfpennies by die variety, providing systematic organization for a series whose deliberately deceptive dating complicates chronological study.

Rarity Notes

Scarce.

Cross References

Vlack; Whitman 7710