1783 Georgius Triumpho-Contemporary Counterfeit Danish West Indies Muling. Musante GW-55, Baker-Unlisted, Breen-Unlisted. Copper. AG-3 (PCGS).

29.2 mm. 122.6 grains. Glossy dark brown on the obverse with an appealing and very uniform appearance. A small void in the center corresponds with a similar but shallower feature on the reverse, clarifying this as a natural planchet flaw. Other marks on this side are few and far between, with only a small nick left of the hair tie and a few tiny pricks in the right field. The reverse is virtually identical in color, but it is microgranular and doesn’t have quite the same degree of gloss. Marks on this side are largely confined to ancient and faint handling scuffs. Both sides are somewhat weakly struck, but the generally flatter relief of the reverse design didn’t give it much of a chance in the production process, as the higher relief of the opposing portrait absorbed much of the metal. Still, the letters of the legend are mostly visible, as is the date and traces of the rigging of the ship motif. An example of the intended issue that used this reverse design is included here for comparison, and both pieces are plated on page 112 of Neil Musante’s Medallic Washington. Struck from the Georgius Triumpho obverse in its later state, this example appears to exhibit a greater degree of degradation than even the late state Triumpho offered in the previous lot. Heavy die flow lines are evident through the legends, distorting and thinning some letters, while a similar effect has weakened George’s hair tie. Notwithstanding, all the major elements of the obverse are fairly clear, with all letters fully legible and George’s outline complete, save for where the spalling bulge right of the mouth has merged into the mouth itself. A similar situation is true of the reverse die, which was used to strike counterfeit Danish West Indies 24 Skilling pieces, and later, this muling in a later die state. Aggressive peripheral die flow lines are noted through the letters and what appears to be a sizable break crosses the final date digit. Just two examples of this rarity are known, both announced in a 2002 Colonial Newsletter article by Syd Martin and Mike Ringo. The authors make a case that the two known examples were likely struck in England (where both pieces were discovered) from discarded dies that ended up in the maker’s hands. It also seems clear that these did circulate, and not lightly. While this is nicely centered and was probably lightly struck on purpose to preserve die life, the other example (also plated in both Musante and in the Colonial Newsletter article) was much more crudely made, dramatically double struck and on a somewhat oval flan. To use the worn out die from a counterfeiter’s operation in concert with the aged and well-used die for the Triumpho token issue was not a great starting point for anything commercially viable, and judging from the existence of just two examples, neither was it a long-lived operation. Martin and Ringo commented, “Both examples discovered show evidence of extensive wear, suggesting that these mules actually circulated. Further, their rather crude overall fabric, the poor quality planchet stock, and the lack of quality control argue against their being made specifically for collectors, as was generally the case with improbably muled Condor [sic] tokens.” This is a good observation regarding intent, as there is no reason to believe these were curiosities made to sell to collectors. These were crude counterfeits of the period, intended to circulate in commerce, and they are of a weight and size standard similar to the usual Georgius Triumpho tokens, which are considerably heavier than the typical Danish West Indies counterfeits. Also included with this lot is an example of a counterfeit Danish West Indies 24 skilling in brass. It is struck from the same reverse die as used on the Georgius Triumpho muling and makes for a useful comparative piece. It is Very Fine, or so, weighs 96.0 grains and measures 26.8 mm. (Total: 2 pieces)

From the Sydney F. Martin Collection. Earlier, discovered in England; Long Island Numismatics (Gary Parietti), January 2001.