(1860s) Sommer Islands Shilling - Dickeson Copy

Coin Details

Auction Record

$2,040 • MS65 PL NGC (Brass) • 11-2020 • Heritage Auctions

Description

Produced by Dr. Montroville Wilson Dickeson (1810-1882) of Philadelphia to accompany his landmark 1859 publication "The American Numismatic Manual," this mid-19th-century reproduction of the Sommer Islands shilling represents an important chapter in the history of numismatic scholarship and collector education. Cataloged as Kenney-1 and W-15400, the Dickeson copy imitates the Small Sails variety of the original but introduces deliberate modifications: most notably, the reverse replaces the original's portholes with cannons, one of which has just been fired — an artistic embellishment that helps distinguish the copy from genuine Hogge Money examples. The obverse features four pellets at ground level between the pig's legs, another detail specific to the Dickeson production. Examples were struck in multiple metals including copper, brass, nickel, and white metal, providing collectors with various options at different price points. Dickeson, a physician by training who became one of America's pioneer numismatic researchers, created these copies as educational tools to illustrate his reference book at a time when original Sommer Islands coins were virtually unobtainable by ordinary collectors. Scarce but not extremely rare, Dickeson copies are considerably more affordable than genuine Sommer Islands coinage and serve as legitimate collectibles in their own right, documenting the early history of American numismatic publishing and the entrepreneurial spirit of 19th-century collector-scholars who made rare colonial types accessible through carefully produced reproductions.

Rarity Notes

Scarce but not extremely rare. Considerably more affordable than genuine Sommer Islands coinage. Known in copper, brass, nickel, and white metal.

Cross References

Kenney-1, W-15400