The E-Sylum:  Volume 7, Number 10, March 7, 2004, Article 9

APRIL 2004 COLONIAL NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED

  Gary Trudgen, CNL Editor, writes: "The April 2004 issue of
  The Colonial Newsletter (CNL) has been published. This issue
  consists of a feature paper, two technical notes and a letter to
  the editor.

  The feature paper is a very interesting and useful study of the
  various errors found on early American coins produced before
  the Federal Mint began operations in 1792.  The basis of this
  paper was presented by Dr. Philip Mossman at the ANS
  Coinage of the Americas Conference (COAC) in Baltimore,
  MD on March 17, 2001.  A decision was made not to publish
  a conference proceedings for this COAC, thus freeing up Phil's
  paper for publication elsewhere.  Phil has expanded the paper
  for publication in CNL.

  Minting equipment from the various American pre-Federal
  coinage operations has not survived, plus there is no known
  written documentation from this era that adequately describes
  the technologies employed to mint these coins.  The best
  evidence we have concerning the minting processes are the
  coins themselves.   By studying error coins from each step of
  the minting process the technology employed to mint the coin
  can be extrapolated.  In this paper, Phil follows the
  contemporaneous minting process from start to finish,
  illustrating and explaining errors that occurred in the process.

  In the first technical note, Robert Martin reports the discovery
  of a new Connecticut obverse die.  The newly discovered die
  is paired with an already known 1785 reverse die labeled A.3.
  Tentatively, the new obverse die has been classified as Miller
  6.6, thus creating a new 1785 variety, M. 6.6-A.3.  Robert
  presents diagnostic and metrological data on the discovery coin.

  An extremely interesting and important central device trial
  piece is the subject of our next technical note.  This artifact
  from the period when British halfpence were being extensively
  counterfeited has been the subject of much discussion and
  examination over the past several months.  The central devices
  that are impressed into the trial piece are the same that are
  found on the 1781-dated series of counterfeit halfpence.  The
  authors, Byron K. Weston and Gary A. Trudgen, conclude
  that the trial piece is the result of impressing central device
  matrix punches into a copper flan.

  Finally, a thought provoking and informative letter was
  received from Thomas Kays in response to our previous issue
  which contained Dr. Philip Mossman's "Money of the 14th
  Colony: Nova Scotia (1711-1783)."  Tom's letter, along with
  Phil's inserted replies, is reproduced in the Letter to the Editor
  section.

  CNL is published three times a year by The American
  Numismatic Society, Broadway at 155th Street, New York,
  NY 10032.  For inquires concerning CNL, please contact
  Juliette Pelletier at the preceding postal address or e-mail
  pelletier at amnumsoc.org or telephone (212) 234-3130
  ext. 243."

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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