Colonial USA Penny George I ‘Rosa Americana’ 1723

Description

Heading: Colonial USA penny George I 1723

Denomination: Copper alloy (bath metal) penny

Period: Hanoverian rule in the Americas

Date: 1723

Origin: Bristol foundry

Condition: Fine for type

Obverse: Bust of George right, GEORGIUS. DEI. GRATIA. REX

Reverse: A crowned rose surrounded by ROSA AMERCANA 1723 UTILE DULCI

Size and Weight: 26mm, 5.95g

References: KM#10

Features and Provenance: This somewhat insignificant little coin belies its history. During the 17th century, the shortage of small denomination coins became acute, to alleviate this, private licenses were given to landowners and nobility to mint their own token coinage. In 1722 a patent to mint copper coins for Ireland and the American colonies was given to entrepreneur William Woods who had them produced at the Bristol foundry. Rosa Americana coins were minted with Bath metal, which was an alloy created from 75% brass, 20% zinc (mixed with tin and bismuth) and 5% silver. Wood struck halfpennies, penny and two pence coins. By 1724 Woods was forced to stop production and surrender his patent (in exchange for a £3.000 pension).

The coins that were produced for Ireland were recalled  and shipped out for use in the Americas in the English Territories of the Eastern Seaboard, our coin was specifically mint for the Americas. To put this into context, America, at the time, was split between Britain, France and Spain and it had only been a hundred years since the Pilgrim Fathers had landed on American soil.

Condition Summary. This varies with the age of coin and there are grades between

Uncirculated (U). As struck with no traces of wear

Extremely Fine (EF). Very slight traces of wear, all parts of legend etc present, visible and clear

Very Fine (VF). Some signs of wear on the higher parts of the relief, all parts of legend etc present, but maybe worn

Fine (F). Wear on the coin and parts of legend etc may be missing or not visible