1760 1/2 P Voce Populi - P Below Half Penny

Coin Details

Auction Record

$11,500 MS64 05-28-2008 Heritage Auctions

Description

This 1760 Voce Populi Halfpenny features a small letter P positioned below the bust on the obverse, one of the identifying characteristics that distinguishes this variety from the "No P," "P at Face," and other types in the series. The obverse shows a laureate bust facing right with the P placed beneath the truncation of the bust, while the reverse displays the seated Hibernia with her harp and the VOCE POPULI legend. The letter P is generally represent either the initial of the engraver or manufacturer, Roche, or it may be a mintmark or control letter. Its placement below the bust is the most common position for the P among varieties that include it. Voce Populi coins were struck in copper in 1760, in Dublin, and exported in quantity to the American colonies where small-denomination copper coins were always in short supply. The name VOCE POPULI, meaning "Voice of the People" in Latin, gave these coins an inadvertently political character that resonated with colonists who were developing increasingly strong views about self-governance and representation. The coins circulated alongside British halfpennies, colonial tokens, and other small coppers in the diverse monetary landscape of pre-Revolutionary America. The "P Below" variety is one of the more commonly encountered Voce Populi types and serves as a good representative piece for collectors seeking to include this important Irish-American series in their collections.

Rarity Notes

Scarce but among the more available Voce Populi varieties. A good type coin for the series.

Cross References

PCGS #268; NGC #108120; Breen; Nelson; cf. PCGS #262 (No P), PCGS #271 (P at Face), PCGS #265 (VOOE)