1787 1787' 1/2P Machin's Mills Half Penny

Coin Details

Description

Dated 1787, this Machin's Mills copper halfpenny bears a date coinciding with the year the private mint began operations near Newburgh, New York — making it potentially one of the most chronologically honest dates in a series otherwise characterized by deliberate backdating. Cataloged by Vlack and listed as Whitman 7750, the 1787 date falls during the mint's actual production period of approximately 1787-1790, meaning the date on this particular die may represent something close to the actual year of striking. However, even the 1787 date should be treated with caution, as it could have been chosen simply because it matched a recent genuine British halfpenny date rather than to record the actual year of production. The obverse imitates the George III bust and the reverse copies the seated Britannia design, following the standard British halfpenny template employed across the entire Machin's Mills series. Struck in copper, the coin weighs approximately 7.5 grams with a 28 mm diameter and plain edge. Cataloged as PCGS #469. Classified as moderately scarce, the 1787-dated issue is of particular interest to Machin's Mills specialists because of its chronological alignment with the mint's founding. Thomas Machin, a Revolutionary War veteran who contributed engineering expertise to the Continental Army's Hudson River defenses, launched his coinage venture as a commercial enterprise exploiting the post-war demand for circulating copper — a demand that the fledgling state and national governments proved unable to satisfy through authorized coinage alone.

Rarity Notes

Moderately scarce.

Cross References

Vlack; Whitman 7750