(1659) Lord Baltimore Maryland Sixpence - MVLTILICAMINI

Coin Details

Auction Record

$50,432 • MS62 • 11-2002 • Morton & Eden, Ltd.

Description

Bearing the misspelling "MVLTILICAMINI" instead of the correct "MVLTIPLICAMINI" (Latin for "multiply ye"), this Lord Baltimore Maryland sixpence preserves a die-engraving error on one of the earliest authorized coinages for any American colony. Cataloged as Hodder 2-D/W-1070 and Breen 72, the Small Bust variety with the MVLTILICAMINI misspelling is rated High R.7 — extremely rare — and an auction record of $50,432 for an MS62 specimen at Morton & Eden, Ltd. in November 2002 underscores its elite status. Struck in .925 sterling silver at 2.87 grams with a 21 mm diameter and plain edge (PCGS #931472), the sixpence was part of the coinage authorized by Cecil Calvert, the second Lord Baltimore, who held a royal charter granting him proprietary rights over Maryland including the power to coin money. The coinage was produced in London around 1659, and the Latin motto — drawn from Genesis 1:28 commanding mankind to "be fruitful and multiply" — appears on the reverse alongside the Calvert family arms. The omission of "PLI" from MVLTIPLICAMINI created MVLTILICAMINI, an error that survived into production, meaning the die engraver's mistake was not caught during the quality review process. This piece belongs to the Pre-1776 States Coinage (1652-1774) series and represents a convergence of extreme rarity, historical importance, and a fascinating production error that together make it one of the most significant coins in the colonial American series.

Rarity Notes

Extremely rare. Small Bust variety with MVLTILICAMINI misspelling. High R.7.

Cross References

Hodder 2-D/W-1070, Breen 72