Sommer Is Shilling W-15430 Copper-Nickel Dickeson Copy

Coin Details

Description

A copper-nickel copy of the Sommer Islands (Bermuda) Shilling cataloged as W-15430 in the Whitman reference, created by Dr. Montroville Wilson Dickeson of Philadelphia in the 1850s-1860s. The original Sommer Islands coins, struck around 1616, are among the earliest English colonial issues in the Americas and are essentially unobtainable by private collectors. Dickeson produced these copies in multiple metals to satisfy collector demand for examples of famous colonial rarities. The copper-nickel composition gives this piece a silvery-white appearance, distinguishing it from the copper originals and the brass and white metal copies in the series. The obverse faithfully reproduces the wild hog design representing the abundant boar that early settlers found on Bermuda, while the reverse depicts the sailing ship with "XII" denomination. As a physician-turned-numismatist, Dickeson was part of a mid-19th-century tradition of creating acknowledged reproductions of numismatic rarities. His copies were not intended to deceive but rather to fill gaps in collections where originals were impossibly rare. Dickeson is also remembered for his panoramic painting "The Mound Builders," reflecting his archaeological interests alongside his coin collecting. Copper-nickel Dickeson copies cataloged under W-15430 are less frequently encountered than the brass versions, making them a desirable variant for collectors specializing in colonial reproductions or in the broader history of American numismatic culture.

Rarity Notes

Scarce to rare. Copper-nickel Dickeson copies are less common than brass examples and are sought by specialists in colonial reproductions.

Cross References

W-15430; Dickeson Copy series; Original: Sommer Islands Shilling, circa 1616