1774 1774' 1/2P Machin's Mills Half Penny

Coin Details

Description

Bearing the pre-Revolutionary date of 1774 — the year of the First Continental Congress and the Intolerable Acts — this Machin's Mills copper halfpenny was produced circa 1787-1790 at Thomas Machin's private mint near Newburgh, New York, as a lightweight imitation of the British George III halfpenny. Cataloged by Vlack and listed as Whitman 7670, the piece copies the standard regal bust and Britannia designs of genuine British coinage. The 1774 date would have been entirely plausible for a British halfpenny still circulating in the late 1780s, as copper coins of that era commonly remained in commerce for decades. Struck in copper, the coin weighs approximately 7.5 grams with a 28 mm diameter and plain edge. Cataloged as PCGS #454. Classified as common for the series, the 1774-dated issue is one of the more available Machin's Mills varieties, suggesting this die saw substantial production use. The relative availability of certain dates within the Machin's Mills series provides indirect evidence about production volumes and die longevity at the Newburgh facility — common dates imply dies that survived extended use, while rare dates suggest dies that cracked, broke, or were replaced early in their service life. For collectors, the 1774 date offers an entry-level acquisition into the Machin's Mills series at a lower cost than the scarcer dated varieties, while still representing the same historical narrative of private imitation coinage during the Confederation period.

Rarity Notes

Common for the series.

Cross References

Vlack; Whitman 7670