1722 Penny Rosa Americana - VTILEDVLC

Coin Details

Auction Record

$8,050 VF 05-01-2005 Stack's

Description

This 1722 Rosa Americana Penny features the blundered reverse legend VTILEDVLC, in which the two-word motto VTILE DVLCI is run together without spacing. This same die blunder appears on the 1722 halfpenny with the identical error, indicating that either the same die cutter was responsible for both denominations or that a systematic error in the letterpunch process affected multiple dies. The obverse bears the laureate bust of George I facing right with the royal inscription, while the reverse displays the crowned Tudor rose with the garbled legend. Such blundered legends are a notable feature of colonial-era coinage, where individual letter punches were applied by hand to soft steel dies, and spacing errors, inverted letters, and omissions were occupational hazards. William Wood's Bristol works produced the Rosa Americana series under a 1722 patent from George I, and quality control was evidently not rigorous enough to prevent blundered dies from entering production. The fact that coins from these error dies were released into the distribution chain rather than being rejected indicates practical priorities overrode aesthetic perfection. For modern collectors, blundered legend varieties are particularly appealing because they add an element of die variety collecting to the already fascinating Rosa Americana series. The VTILEDVLC penny is one of the most distinctive error varieties in the entire colonial American coinage spectrum.

Rarity Notes

Rare. The blundered VTILEDVLC legend is scarce on the penny denomination. Collectors prize this variety for its distinctive error.

Cross References

PCGS #110; Martin attribution; Breen; blundered legend; cf. PCGS #98 (1722 Halfpenny VTILEDVLC same error)