(ca. 1670) Token New Yorke in America Pewter

Coin Details

Auction Record

$6,200 AU Details 02-20-2023 eBay

Description

This circa 1670 "NEW YORKE IN AMERICA" token in pewter is the second known metal for this extremely rare early colonial token type. The obverse features an eagle with outspread wings, while the reverse shows a cupid-like winged figure. The legend NEW YORKE IN AMERICA uses the seventeenth-century spelling of the colony's name. Pewter, an alloy of tin and lead, was a common material for tokens and unofficial coinages in the colonial period, being inexpensive to produce and easy to cast or strike. The pewter composition gives this token a dull, silvery-gray appearance that contrasts with the golden brass version. Like its brass counterpart, this token dates from the earliest years of English control over New York, following the 1664 seizure of New Amsterdam from the Dutch. The colony was named for the Duke of York, the brother of King Charles II and future King James II, and these tokens are among the earliest English-language numismatic items from the colony. Pewter tokens of this era are particularly fragile and prone to deterioration — the lead content makes them susceptible to corrosion, and the soft metal is easily damaged. This means that surviving examples in any collectible condition are extraordinarily rare. The New Yorke tokens, in both brass and pewter, occupy a special place in American numismatics as tangible artifacts from the very beginning of English colonial New York, predating most other identified colonial token series by decades.

Rarity Notes

Extremely rare. Pewter examples may be even scarcer than brass due to the fragility of the metal. A high-condition example would be a landmark auction event.

Cross References

PCGS #229; NGC #108106; Breen 211; cf. PCGS #226 (Brass version); New York colony established 1664