1776 Continental Currency Boyd and Smith - Ni Plated Brass Dollar

Coin Details

Description

Produced by Boyd and Smith as a later collector reproduction, this nickel-plated brass restrike of the 1776 Continental Currency dollar is cataloged as a Newman restrike and Whitman 8420. The nickel plating gives the brass substrate a silvery appearance that approximates the look of the original pewter strikings, creating an aesthetically pleasing facsimile of one of the most iconic American coins for collectors unable to afford genuine 1776 originals. Boyd and Smith operated during the nineteenth century when demand for Continental Currency dollars far exceeded the tiny surviving population of authentic pieces, and their restrikes filled a legitimate market niche for collectors who wanted representative examples of this historically significant design in their cabinets. The Continental Currency dollar's obverse features the sundial design with FUGIO, MIND YOUR BUSINESS, and CONTINENTAL CURRENCY inscriptions, while the reverse displays thirteen interlocking chain links with state names and the WE ARE ONE central motto — a design program attributed to Benjamin Franklin that would later be adapted for the 1787 Fugio cent. The distinction between original 1776 strikings and later restrikes is critical: originals are among the most valuable American coins, while restrikes, though collectible in their own right, occupy a different tier in both price and historical significance. Scarce as a restrike, the Boyd and Smith nickel-plated brass version represents a fascinating chapter in the history of numismatic reproduction and the commercial dynamics of nineteenth-century coin collecting.

Rarity Notes

Scarce restrike. Later collector reproduction by Boyd and Smith.

Cross References

Newman restrike; Whitman 8420