Results 1 to 12 of 12

Thread: 1778 Machin Mills Half Penny Found !!

  1. #1
    Cellar hole freak
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Connecticut
    Posts
    48

    1778 Machin Mills Half Penny Found !!

    Went to an old cellar hole a couple weeks ago with FoundationHunter, didn't realize 1 of my finds turned out to be a 1778 Machin Mils Half Penny . I recently started cleaning a lot of my coins when i was doing a hot peroxide bath on this particular coin i was able to start seeing a date on it, i just recently got a new book i bought off Ebay to help recognize a lot of the old coins we can find while cellar hole hunting. This book has a boat load of info.
    Attached Images Attached Images   
    Last edited by butchey1122; 10-15-2014 at 05:43 PM.

  2. #2
    Senior Member Isaac's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Herndon Virginia
    Posts
    731
    That is an awesome find!!! Congrats on the Revolutionary War coin!!!
    I <3 colonial relics!

  3. #3
    Cellar hole freak
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Connecticut
    Posts
    48
    Thank you

  4. #4
    Elite Member The Rebel's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Southwest, CT
    Posts
    2,060
    WTG on the KG! What book did you get?
    Minelab Manticore / SPECTRA V3i, Pro-Pointer II. Lesche Digger.
    Oldest Copper: 1694 William & Mary Halfpenny. Oldest Silver: 1663 1-Reale
    Cob.

    My Album

  5. #5
    Looks like you got something there. Most of the "Machins" pieces I see are actually George III and not Machins at all. Your's looks right. Here's a links to a Machin's Mill photo plates online. http://www.coins.nd.edu/ColCoin/ColC...in/Vlack-2.jpg I've been collecting colonials for years and one of my favorite pieces associated with Machins Mills is pictured here. I actually like these 1784's so much I have two.
    Name:  machins 14-84A obv own.jpg
Views: 518
Size:  38.4 KB Name:  machins 14-84A rev own.jpg
Views: 374
Size:  36.0 KB
    Best Finds for 2015

    1871 British Gold half sovereign
    1786 New Jersey copper

    1786 Vermont Landscape
    2 - 1787 Connecticut coppers
    4 King George II halfpence
    2 King George II Farthings
    3 Large cents
    5 - 1864 2 Cent Pieces
    1857 Seated Dime
    4 Barber Dimes
    Standing Liberty Quarter
    21 Addt'l Silver Dimes
    8 War Nickels
    31 Indians
    5 Shield nickels & 8 V nickels
    Victorian Silver Match Case c.1880
    29 Gram 14k gold bracelet

  6. #6
    Cellar hole freak
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Connecticut
    Posts
    48
    The book is called Whitman Encyclopedia of colonial and early American coins, got it on eBay for $20

  7. #7
    For those who don't know, Thomas Machin, the maker of this coin, was a captain during the Revolutionary War and was responsible for the emplacement of the Great Chain across the Hudson River to block the British as West Point. His son, Thomas Machin Jr was a brigadier general during the War of 1812. In between, Thomas Machin was a counterfeiter with a mint just north of Newburgh, NY on Orange Lake. He is primarily known for his counterfeit British halfpence, but also struck many NJ coppers, primarily over Connecticut coppers. At the time, CT coppers traded at 16 to the shilling and NJ's traded at 12 to the shilling. You would need 64 CT's to get 4 shillings but only 48 NJ's. It was a good deal for him. Most were struck around 1789 with dies dated earlier. I actually owned one of his 1787 NJ's struck over a 1788 CT. Very interesting period in our nations coinage.
    Best Finds for 2015

    1871 British Gold half sovereign
    1786 New Jersey copper

    1786 Vermont Landscape
    2 - 1787 Connecticut coppers
    4 King George II halfpence
    2 King George II Farthings
    3 Large cents
    5 - 1864 2 Cent Pieces
    1857 Seated Dime
    4 Barber Dimes
    Standing Liberty Quarter
    21 Addt'l Silver Dimes
    8 War Nickels
    31 Indians
    5 Shield nickels & 8 V nickels
    Victorian Silver Match Case c.1880
    29 Gram 14k gold bracelet

  8. #8
    Cellar hole freak
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Connecticut
    Posts
    48
    Great info thank you Don, I'm learning more and more everyday!!!!

  9. #9
    Veteran Member Bell-Two's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    South West Ohio
    Posts
    1,720
    Fantastic find, rare and in lovely condition! I have the Whitman book too and it is wonderful.
    Psalms 24:1 ¶ The earth is the LORD'S, and all it contains...But God shares with us who search!
    Member Dayton Diggers CTX 3030- Minelab E-Trac


    click here to view my finds album

  10. #10
    I just thought I'd throw this in. A number of you mentioned you have the Whitman Encyclopedia of Colonial and Early American Coins. I thought I'd put up a photo of kind of a who's who of contributors to the book. This photo was taken during a break of the Frederick B Taylor sale at the Vista Hotel in 1987(was at the base of the World Trade Center and was crushed on 9/11). I named a number of those in the photo who were contributors to the book. There are a few that are named that weren't and I just added their names as their collections were sold as major auctions including Perkins, Rescigno and Henry Garrett's NJ's.

    Steve Tanenbaum, http://stevetanenbaum.com/ was a noted authority on Civil War Tokens/colonials and was tragically run down by a man escaping the murder of 3 people in a stolen car. Bill Anton has one of the most extensive collections of colonial coins on the planet with a specialty in New Jerseys. I remember walking around a coin show with Bill about 20 years ago. We would stop at each dealer's table and attribute the colonial coins in the dealers cases without opening the case in most instances. At the time my eyesight was much better and Bill carried a giant magnifying glass. Robert Martin was my early mentor in colonials and probably knows more about them then anyone. He's a Connecticut specialist. George Perkins sold his collection a number of years ago. He was a Connecticut collector and I remember something he told me about 25 years ago that really made me think. I had sent him a very worn CT copper for sale at a price of $1,250. It was a rare one. He said to me that he was really looking for one in better condition, but it hadn't come along and over the years he didn't regret any of the coins he bought, but he does regret some of the coins he passed on. He bought the coin. For those of you that watch Pawn Stars, every once in a while they get a colonial era document and call in Dana Linette. He's probably gained 60 pounds since this photo, but I've gained 30 myself. It's been a fun 30 years collecting colonials.

    Name:  taylor photo with names.jpg
Views: 383
Size:  60.0 KB
    Last edited by don in ny; 10-17-2014 at 07:59 AM.
    Best Finds for 2015

    1871 British Gold half sovereign
    1786 New Jersey copper

    1786 Vermont Landscape
    2 - 1787 Connecticut coppers
    4 King George II halfpence
    2 King George II Farthings
    3 Large cents
    5 - 1864 2 Cent Pieces
    1857 Seated Dime
    4 Barber Dimes
    Standing Liberty Quarter
    21 Addt'l Silver Dimes
    8 War Nickels
    31 Indians
    5 Shield nickels & 8 V nickels
    Victorian Silver Match Case c.1880
    29 Gram 14k gold bracelet

  11. #11
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Winsted Conn.
    Posts
    122
    Blog Entries
    1
    Nice Machin Mills Gary,great details.
    Gary

  12. #12
    Cellar hole freak
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Connecticut
    Posts
    48
    Thank you!!!!!

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •