The E-Sylum:  Volume 8, Number 41, September 25, 2005, Article 11

GEORGE III HALFPENNY DONATED

An article in the September 19th issue of Leesburg Today
(of Virginia) reports that "Earlier this summer, the county lost
five colonial coins that were stolen from an archaeological
display at the Loudoun County Courthouse. But a part of that
loss was made up yesterday when a Purcellville homeowner
donated a rare 1774 half penny coin, minted during the reign
of George III, to the county to start a new coin collection.

Under blue skies late yesterday afternoon in a shaded garden
in the Locust Grove community of Purcellville, Loudoun
Supervisors Jim Burton (I-Blue Ridge) and Jim Clem (R-Leesburg)
accepted the coin from Don Kraper, owner of the historic Locust
Grove house after which the subdivision is named. The earliest
part of the house dates to 1817."

"Kraper bought the house last December and moved in late
February. He managed to persuade a longtime friend, dating back
to college days, David Chicelli, to relocate from Rocky Mount, NC,
to Locust Grove, where he is “staying in the service quarters,”
Chicelli quipped yesterday. A coin collector, Chicelli was doing a
spot of metal detecting in the front garden, only a few feet from the
walkway to the front door of the stucco house. The halfpenny was
the first thing he found, in less than 30 minutes, about four inches
below the surface. Since then, Chicelli noted wryly, the only items
he's found are modern coins."

"Burton said after the ceremony, as guests toured the redecorated
house and well-established garden, “it's great to see a newcomer
in the county who's willing to show his appreciation for the county's
history.”

To read the full story, see: Full Story

[Can anyone tell us more about the theft of colonial coins from
the display at the Loudoun County Courthouse? -Editor]

  Wayne Homren, Editor

	coinbooks.org Web

The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization 
promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org.

To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor 
at this address: whomren@coinlibrary.com

To subscribe go to: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum