1734 Halfpenny With R/o Obverse

[Rob]

Has anybody ever seen or heard of one? It's listed in Spink at about 2/3 the price of a 1734/3, which is acknowledged as rare. I have no records from catalogues, nor have I seen one. Does it exist?

[azda]

Looks like the tubleweed is blowing through the Topic. Sorry, i have'nt seen one either.

[Nick]

DNW sold one: Lot 268, 28 Jan 1997. Graded fine, sold for £25.

[Rob]

DNW sold one: Lot 268, 28 Jan 1997. Graded fine, sold for £25.

Thanks Nick, I obviously missed that one. No image though which doesn't help and partly explains why.

It's unusual for a currency piece to be unique, so would have expected another to have surfaced in the interim given the numbers of coins typically produced from any one die - 30-50000 seems a reasonable minimum based on mintage figures known for Chas.II halfpennies, unless the die rapidly disintegrated? Survival rates are a bit of a stab in the dark, but given I've noted 7 examples of the 1738 V/S in GEORGIVS and 5 of the 1734/3, both of which are from a single die, I would have thought maybe up to a dozen ought to exist with at least one in VF or better.