1722 Twopence Rosa Americana

Coin Details

Auction Record

$9,775 CH UNC 05-01-2005 Stack's

Description

This 1722 Twopence is the standard issue of the highest denomination in the Rosa Americana series, produced during the inaugural year of William Wood's colonial coinage patent. The Twopence was the largest and heaviest coin in the series, measuring approximately 31mm in diameter and weighing around 10-12 grams. The obverse features a laureate bust of George I facing right with the legend GEORGIVS D:G: MAG: BRI: FRA: ET: HIB: REX, while the reverse displays a large crowned Tudor rose surrounded by ROSA AMERICANA VTILE DVLCI. Struck in Bath metal, Wood's proprietary alloy with its distinctive golden color, the Twopence was intended to serve as a substantial medium-denomination coin for colonial commerce. At two pence, it represented meaningful purchasing power in an era when a loaf of bread might cost a penny and a day's labor for an unskilled worker might earn sixpence to a shilling. The 1722 date marks the beginning of the series, and multiple die combinations are known for the Twopence from this year, reflecting active production as Wood sought to fulfill his patent obligations. Despite official backing from the Crown, the coins met resistance from colonial merchants and legislatures who doubted their intrinsic value and resented what they saw as an imposition from London. Today the 1722 Twopence is one of the most recognizable and iconic colonial American coins, frequently illustrated in reference works and collected as a type coin for the series.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. Available across a range of grades but choice examples with full detail are uncommon. The 1722 Twopence is a popular type coin for the Rosa Americana series.

Cross References

PCGS #116; NGC #108048; Martin attribution; Breen 126; Nelson