1776 Continental Curency - Brass Dollar (Type 2)

Coin Details

Description

Struck in brass with the single-R spelling "CURENCY," this Type 2 Continental Currency dollar combines two layers of extreme rarity: brass metal composition and the specific Type 2 die classification. Cataloged as Newman 1-B (brass) and Whitman 8404, the obverse features the sundial with FUGIO and the date 1776, while the reverse displays thirteen linked rings with WE ARE ONE — designs attributed to Benjamin Franklin. The "CURENCY" spelling, while notable to modern eyes, was not unusual by eighteenth-century orthographic standards. Brass strikings are extremely rare, positioned between the more available pewter and the virtually unobtainable silver examples. The brass composition gives a distinctive golden appearance that may have been intended to suggest higher value than pewter. Scholars debate whether brass Continental dollars represent trial pieces, presentation strikes, or deliberate production runs. The Type 2 classification indicates a specific Newman die combination. Continental Currency dollars remain among the most iconic American coins, struck during the Revolution's opening year when independence's outcome was far from certain.

Rarity Notes

Extremely rare. Brass strikings are among the rarest Continental Currency varieties.

Cross References

Newman 1-B (brass); Whitman 8404