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HERITAGE: COLONIAL AND PRE-FEDERAL COINSHere is a group of colonial and pre-Federal coins selected from Heritage Auctions' upcoming FUN Signature sale, which runs from January 14-17. -Garrett 
1652 Pine Tree Shilling, Large Planchet, No Pellets, Reversed N, Noe-10, W-750, Salmon 8-Diii, R.3, MS63 PCGS. 73.3 grains. Steel-blue and sunrise yellow coloration coat surfaces that are largely unabraded, save for an old mark southeast of the Pine Tree. The stretched out nature of the HVS on the obverse is an artifact of the rocker press employed for the coinage of this issue. Slight rim flattening above that H also suggests a minor clip, common among these issues to ensure proper weight.
The Pine Tree shilling is the third of three tree varieties of
Massachusetts coinage, and the first of two Planchet sizes of the
Pine Tree type. There are 11 major varieties and 16 die marriages
total. The present Large Planchet, No Pellets, Reversed N variety
covers two different Noe die marriages: Noe-9 and Noe-10. The
present Noe-10 sports a significantly reengraved Pine Tree compared
to Noe-9, and is significantly more available than the earlier die
state. Listed on page 9 of the 2026 Guide Book.
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1722 Hibernia Farthing, M. 1.1-A.1, W-12200, R.5 -- Reverse
Scratched -- NGC Details. Unc. Ex: Boyd/Ford. Martin 1.1-A.1 is
the sole die marriage of the 1722 Hibernia farthing. It is very
scarce. NGC has graded a mere four pieces, the present lot plus
examples in Fine 15, VF20, and XF45 (12/25). This mahogany-brown
representative is exemplary save for a horizontal mark, on the
right reverse field near 3 o'clock. Listed on page 15 of the 2026
Guide Book.
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1773 1/2 P Virginia Halfpenny, Period, N. 25-M, W-1580, R.2,
MS64 Red PCGS. A die lump on the divider east of the Irish harp
is the identifier for Newman 25-M. Although Virginia halfpennies
are available in Mint State, relatively few retain full Red color.
This Choice representative displays toning on the high points, but
the remainder of the coin is orange-gold. Marks are absent, and the
strike shows minor incompleteness. Listed on page 16 of the 2026
Guide Book.
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1788 Massachusetts Cent, Period, Ryder 3-A, W-6210, Low R.4, MS62 Brown PCGS. A low first 8 in the date is a pick-up point for the scarce Ryder 3-A. The variety is conditionally rare, and this is the first example to our knowledge to appear in a Heritage auction certified as Mint State. The unmarked mahogany-brown surfaces display minor flan granularity near 9 o'clock on the reverse, and a spot rests below the M in MASSACHUSETTS. Listed on page 30 of the 2026 Guide Book.
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1785 Vermont Copper, VERMONTS, XF40 NGC. RR-2, Bressett 1-A,
W-2005, R.2. A well centered example that displays tan-brown
and lime when rotated beneath a light. The types are bold, and flan
flaws are minor and undistracting. This is an example of the
popular Landscape type that departs from the usual imitations of
King George and Britannia. The present RR-2, Bressett 1-A is the
most available of the three die marriages of this date. Listed on
page 27 of the 2026 Guide Book. Census: 8 in 40, 4 finer
(9/25).
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1792 Washington Roman Head Cent PR63 Red and Brown NGC. Baker-19, W-10840, GW-21, R.6. Chestnut and sunrise-yellow hues dominate the surfaces, with hints of blue-steel on the high points. Strike is bold, and the fields are clean.
The obverse of this token portrays Washington in the outfit of a
Roman official. Roman depictions of Washington were common on
pieces of the time, with a Roman-style wreath shown on Washington's
head on many of the British-produced WASHINGTON & INDEPENDENCE
examples, along with a toga on many of those types. The same
occurred in other forms, such as statues, where a likeness of
Washington as a Roman emperor was located on the U.S. capital
grounds for years. However, Washington did not like this depiction.
In his Complete Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial Coins,
Walter Breen suggests that this emboldened the British minters,
dubbing the token "Hancock's Revenge": "When news of Washington's rejection reached Birmingham, John Gregory Hancock (doubtless with Westwood's gleeful consent, possibly at his instigation) undertook an extraordinary piece of revenge. As Washington's spokesmen had compared the idea of presidential portraits on coins to the practices of Nero, Caligula, and Cromwell, so Hancock's (and/or Westwood's) idea was to portray Washington on a coin as a degenerate, effeminate Roman emperor. Hancock's satirical masterpieces, the 'Roman Head' cents manage to convey this impression--with a subtle resemblance. ... Beginning as tokens of incredible spite, these cents have become among the most highly coveted of Washington items." The Roman Head Cent is part of the Conder token series and was not intended for circulation. Only one die marriage exists, known equivalently as Baker-19, Breen-1249, Fuld-WA.1792.3, and W-10840, In his book, Whitman Encyclopedia of Colonial and Early American Coins, Q. David Bowers states, "Nearly all are in high grades, Proof-63 being about par." Listed on pages 48-49 of the 2026 Guide Book.
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Wayne Homren, Editor 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@gmail.com To subscribe go to: Subscribe All Rights Reserved. NBS Home Page Contact the NBS webmaster 
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