1788 1788' 1/2P Machin's Mills Half Penny

Coin Details

Description

Bearing a date of 1788, this Machin's Mills copper halfpenny is among the later-dated issues from Thomas Machin's private mint near Newburgh, New York, which operated from approximately 1787 to 1790. Cataloged by Vlack and listed as Whitman 7760, the 1788 date is unusual among Machin's Mills productions because it falls within the period of the mint's actual operation — unlike the more common backdated issues bearing dates from the 1740s through the 1770s, which were deliberately designed to look like aged British imports. A 1788-dated halfpenny would have appeared contemporary to its date of manufacture, potentially raising questions about its origin that the backdated issues were specifically designed to avoid. The obverse imitates the George III right-facing bust found on genuine British halfpennies, while the reverse copies the seated Britannia design. Struck in copper, the coin weighs approximately 7.5 grams with a 28 mm diameter and plain edge. Cataloged as PCGS #472. Classified as moderately scarce, the 1788-dated issue occupies a distinctive position in the Machin's Mills series because of its contemporaneous dating. Thomas Machin's venture existed in a legal gray area — the coins were technically counterfeit British coppers, but the chronic shortage of small change in post-Revolutionary America created market demand for any copper pieces of reasonable weight and appearance, and enforcement against domestic producers was inconsistent at best during the Confederation period.

Rarity Notes

Moderately scarce.

Cross References

Vlack; Whitman 7760