1722 Twopence Rosa-No Period after REX

Coin Details

Auction Record

$306 Genuine 02-22-2013 Stack's Bowers

Description

This 1722 Rosa Americana Twopence is identified by the absence of a period after REX in the obverse legend, a die variety that distinguishes it from the standard issue where a period follows the final word of the royal title. The obverse features the laureate bust of George I facing right with the legend GEORGIVS D:G: MAG: BRI: FRA: ET: HIB: REX (without trailing period), while the reverse displays the crowned Tudor rose with ROSA AMERICANA VTILE DVLCI. Such punctuation variants were meaningful in eighteenth-century coinage, where the presence or absence of stops (periods) between words and at the end of legends served as distinguishing markers between different die preparations. Die cutters used small punches to add these periods, and their omission could indicate a different engraver, a different batch of die preparation, or simply an oversight. The Twopence, at approximately 31mm, was the largest denomination in the Rosa Americana series and provided the most die surface area for legend variations to be detected. William Wood's Bristol mint produced multiple die combinations for the 1722 Twopence, and tracking these varieties through punctuation, letter forms, and design details is a core pursuit of Rosa Americana die variety specialists. The "No Period after REX" variety represents a specific die state that can be precisely identified and catalogued within the broader series.

Rarity Notes

Rare. The No Period variety is scarcer than the standard punctuated version and is sought by die variety specialists.

Cross References

PCGS #146; Martin attribution; Breen; cf. PCGS #116 (standard 1722 Twopence)