1790 Kentucky Half Penny Token - Engrailed Edge

Coin Details

Description

Bearing an engrailed edge — a pattern of small concave scallops impressed around the coin's rim — this Kentucky Half Penny Token represents one of the more distinctive edge treatments in the series. The engrailed pattern, borrowed from heraldic terminology where it describes a border composed of small curved indentations, was applied during the striking process using a segmented collar die and served as both a decorative element and an anti-counterfeiting measure. Weighing 9.5 grams with a 29 mm diameter in copper, this token is cataloged as Whitman 8610 and PCGS #617. The obverse displays a hand presenting a scroll inscribed "OUR CAUSE IS JUST" encircled by stars, while the reverse features the characteristic pyramid of interlocking stars representing the states of the Union. This moderately scarce variety belongs to the Post-1776 Private and Regional Issues (1778-1820) series and was manufactured in England — likely at one of Birmingham's numerous private minting establishments that specialized in producing tokens, medals, and trade pieces for export to the American market. The engrailed edge distinguishes this variety from the plain edge, vine edge, and various lettered-edge types in the Kentucky Half Penny series, and edge identification is the primary attribution tool collectors use when sorting through Kentucky tokens, as the obverse and reverse designs remain consistent across all edge variants.

Rarity Notes

Moderately scarce.

Cross References

Whitman 8610