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(1659) Lord Baltimore Maryland Penny

Strike Type
1659 Colonials coin

Coin Details

Year
1659
Denomination
Colonials
Strike Type
Regular Strike
Series
Pre-1776 States Coinage (1652-1774)
Designer
Unknown (commissioned by Cecil Calvert, 2nd Lord Baltimore; struck at the Royal Mint, England)
Composition
Copper
Edge
Plain

Auction Record

Price realized
$199,750
Sold
Grade
MS62 BN
Auction house
Heritage Auctions

Description

The Lord Baltimore penny, or denarium, is the copper piece of the Maryland coinage made for Cecil Calvert, the second Lord Baltimore and proprietor of Maryland. Cecil Calvert, the second Lord Baltimore, had shillings, sixpences and fourpences (groats) made in England for Maryland some time before October 1659, with his bust on the obverse and his crowned arms on the reverse. The silver was of sterling fineness, but each coin weighed about three quarters of its English counterpart. A Maryland law of April 12, 1662 required householders to exchange tobacco for the new money, and the few copper pennies are thought to be patterns. The copper penny is thought to be a pattern that was never made in quantity, and Stack's Bowers catalogues it as Breen-76 (W-1000). Cataloged as PCGS #29.

Rarity Notes

R-7- (Stack's Bowers)

Cross References

Breen-76; W-1000

External References

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