1779 Rhode Island Ship Token - Vlugtende Removed

Coin Details

Description

On this variety, the Dutch word "vlugtende" (meaning "fleeing") has been deliberately removed from the obverse die, leaving a blank space below the ship where the inscription originally appeared. The modification represents a conscious editorial decision — the word was effaced from the die to make the medal more appealing to English-speaking collectors or to remove the Dutch-language text that would have been unintelligible to most American audiences. Cataloged as Whitman 8545, this scarce variety with the modified die documents an act of deliberate die alteration during the medal's production history, providing evidence of market-driven adjustments to numismatic products in the 18th century. The original "vlugtende" inscription described the British ships as "fleeing" from Narragansett Bay during the 1778 Battle of Rhode Island, and its removal changes the narrative tone of the medal by eliminating the explicit Dutch characterization of British retreat. The reverse continues to show the map of Narragansett Bay common to all Rhode Island Ship medal varieties. This piece belongs to the Post-1776 Private and Regional Issues (1778-1820) series and holds particular interest for die study specialists because the removal of text from a die — through filing, polishing, or re-engraving — leaves physical traces that can be detected under magnification, making attribution of this variety straightforward for experienced collectors.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. Modified die without Dutch text.

Cross References

Whitman 8545