1792 Washington President Cent

1792 Washington President Cent, Eagle and Stars Reverse. T Below Bust. Lettered Edge.XF40 NGC. Baker-21B, Breen-1228, 1995 COAC WA.1792.5, W-10685, Unique. 175.4 grains, 99% copper perNGC metallurgical tests. There are two major types of the Washington President cents distinguishedby their reverses, featuring either an eagle and 13 stars or the General of the American Armies.Many subscribe to the traditional viewpoint that these pieces are closely related to the 1791 LargeEagle and Small Eagle cents; they are typically attributed to the same engraver, John GregoryHancock, Jr. Described as a child prodigy, Hancock was employed by Obadiah Westwood's private mintin Birmingham, England. George Fuld explains in his 1995 ANS Coinage of the America's Conferencearticle "Coinage Featuring George Washington:"

However, evidence suggests that these pieces and the related Washington Born Virginia copperswere made on the American shore, specifically at the oceanside town of Newburyport,Massachusetts.

In "Perkins and the Washington Medal," published in the August 2010 issue of TheNumismatist, John J. Kraljevich, Jr. presents compelling evidence that a talented young Americanengraver, Jacob Perkins, was the author of these 1792 Washington pieces.

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1792 Washington President Plain Edge Cent, General of the Armies Reverse

1792 Washington President Cent, General of the Armies Reverse, Plain Edge XF45 NGC.Baker-59, Breen-1234, 1995 COAC WA.1792.6, W-10690, R.6. 181.9 grains, 99% copper per NGCmetallurgical tests. As noted in the previous lot, compelling evidence places the production of the1792 Washington President cents at Newburyport, Massachusetts, from the hand of a talented youngengraver named Jacob Perkins. However, others including Eric P. Newman hold the traditionalnumismatic viewpoint that these pieces were coined at Westwood's private mint in Birmingham. TheWashington Born Virginia obverse die was in the possession of the Perkins family until at least thelate 19th century. One of the three varieties of Washington Born Virginia coppers shares the samereverse as this variety, and a second variety with that obverse shares the same reverse of theexample in the previous lot. All of these pieces were clearly made by the same hand. Until JohnKraljevich presented his compelling evidence, everyone believed these pieces were made inEngland.

As truly American productions, the Washington President and Washington Born Virginia coppers areelevated to their rightful place among the most important pieces in the Early American field,equally as important as the Getz patterns. With an estimated population at fewer than 30 pieces,these coppers are even rarer than those made by Getz, and they should be considered every bit asvaluable, if not more so.

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1792 Baker-25 Washington President Cent

1792 Getz Washington President Pattern Cent, Plain Edge MS64 Brown NGC. Baker-25,Breen-1352, Pollock-5020, W-10775, R.5. Ex: "Col." E.H.R. Green. 257.7 grains, 99% copperper NGC metallurgical tests. The late Jack Collins spent many years studying the Getz silver andcopper Washington President pieces. Unfortunately, he passed away before the study was completed.His friend, George Fuld, continued the study through completion, and in 2009 The Washington PatternCoinage of Peter Getz was published by George Frederick Kolbe and Alan Meghrig.

The Peter Getz pattern coins were minted in silver and copper. Those struck in silver include 14with a plain edge, five with the Circles and Squares edge, and three with the twin olive leavesedge. Copper impressions include 45 with a plain edge and 11 with the Circles and Squares edge.Among those 56 copper pieces are eight examples that are described as Mint State. The Eric P.Newman coin is the fifth finest of those eight pieces. An arcing planchet cutter mark is visiblefrom the bottom of the 1 to the top of the G, continuing to the border over the A. The entireobverse is double struck, with less noticeable reverse doubling. The surfaces are prooflike, andthe design motifs are bold. Both sides have attractive chocolate-brown surfaces with delicate lightgreen toning highlights. An exceptional Getz copper.

There were many Washington pieces made as tribute pieces in England, but those by Getz wereactually made in the U.S., and are considered pattern coins as opposed to Washington patternissues. While they were made outside the mint, they were struck in Philadelphia on a coin pressthat was soon moved to the new Philadelphia Mint. It is our opinion that these pieces should becollected as part of the United States pattern series, and they are listed in Andrew Pollock'spattern reference.

These pattern coins are attributed to Peter Getz of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, apparently on thestrength of remarks made by J. Franklin Reigart of that town, and published by Montroville WilsonDickeson in The American Numismatical Manual:

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1792 Roman Head Cent

1792 Washington Roman Head Cent PR65 Red and Brown NGC. Baker-19, Breen-1249, W-10840,R.6. 197.5 grains, 99% copper per NGC metallurgical tests. The edge is lettered UNITED STATES OFAMERICA. A product of Obediah Westwood's Birmingham Mint, the dies of the Roman Head cent areattributed to the talented young engraver John Gregory Hancock. Walter Breen gave Hancock'slife dates as 1775-1815 in his Complete Encyclopedia and described him as a "juvenileengraving prodigy." However, Forrer's Biographical Dictionary of Medalists suggests thatthose dates were his active years of engraving: "Medallist and die-sinker of the latter partof the eighteenth century and first two decades of the nineteenth, circ. 1775-1815." His son,also John Gregory Hancock (born 1791) was described as a prodigy who was engraving tokens at theage of eight or nine years. If the elder Hancock was born in 1775, he was just 16 years old whenhis son was born. Birmingham records indicate that John Gregory Hancock and Sarah Ward were marriedin 1780, suggesting that the elder engraver was likely born a couple of decades earlier, perhapsaround 1760.

It is known that President Washington objected to the appearance of his likeness on the Federalcoinage. However, the Senate version of the Mint Act called for "an impression orrepresentation of the head of the president of the United States." The House ofRepresentatives, apparently ceding to Washington's wishes, changed the wording to call for"an impression emblematic of liberty." As the Getz pattern followed the designs ofHancock's earlier Washington cents, this piece appeared as a response, although opinions of itspurpose differ. In the Whitman Encyclopedia of Colonial and Early American Coins, Q. David Bowerswrote:

In his Complete Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial Coins, Walter Breen labeled this variety"Hancock's Revenge:"

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To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
NEWMAN CHALMERS THREEPENCE, SIXPENCE ANDRINGS (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v17n39a24.html)
MORE COLONIAL SELECTIONS FROM NEWMAN PARTV (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v17n41a17.html)