1787 Token 1/2P Auctori Plebis Half Penny
Strike Type
Coin Details
Description
Bearing the Latin legend AUCTORI PLEBIS ("By the Authority of the People"), this 1787 copper token belongs to a group of privately struck pieces whose exact origin remains a matter of scholarly debate. Crosby took the Auctori Plebis token to be English, since it is engraved in The Virtuoso's Companion, a book of English token plates published in 1796, and thought it was probably meant for use in America. The 1787 piece shows a laureate draped bust facing left with AUCTORI PLEBIS, and on the reverse a seated woman with an anchor and a globe, a lion at her feet, the legend INDEP ET LIBER and the date 1787. Crosby also noted pieces with the same legend and a head facing right paired with a harp and HISPANIOLA 1736, which he did not count as American. It is catalogued as Breen-1147. PCGS lists it as #601.
Cross References
Breen-1147
External References
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