1760 1/2 P Voce Populi - VOOE Half Penny

Coin Details

Auction Record

$12,190 MS64 03-06-2008 Heritage Auctions

Description

This 1760 Voce Populi Halfpenny features the blundered reverse legend VOOE instead of the correct VOCE, a die-cutting error where the letter C was incorrectly punched as an O. The result reads VOOE POPULI rather than VOCE POPULI on the reverse, which shows the seated Hibernia with her harp. The obverse displays the laureate bust facing right. This blundered legend variety is one of the most distinctive and easily identifiable types in the Voce Populi series, as the error transforms the first word of the motto from the Latin "voce" (voice/by the voice) into the nonsensical "vooe." Such die-cutting errors occurred when individual letter punches were misidentified or incorrectly selected from the engraver's set of tools — in this case, an O punch was used where a C was intended. The error was apparently not caught before the die entered production, and coins were struck and distributed with the blundered legend. For collectors, the VOOE variety combines the historical interest of the Voce Populi series with the added appeal of a dramatic die error. Blundered legends are a popular collecting specialty within colonial numismatics, and the VOOE halfpenny is one of the most prominent examples. The coin is struck in copper at the standard approximately 28mm diameter and circulated in the American colonies alongside other small coppers during the 1760s, a decade that would see rising tensions between the colonies and the British Crown.

Rarity Notes

Rare. The VOOE blundered legend variety is scarcer than the standard VOCE types and is actively sought by error and variety collectors.

Cross References

PCGS #265; NGC #108118; Breen; Nelson; blundered legend; cf. PCGS #262 (No P standard), PCGS #268 (P Below standard)