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"The Rosa Americana Coinage of William Wood"
by Sydney F. Martin
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THE ROSA AMERICANA COINAGE
OF
WILLIAM WOOD
by
Sydney F. Martin
C4 Publications
The Colonial Coin Collectors Club
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction xvi
Preface xviii
Acknowledgements xix
Abbreviations Used xxi
Translation of Legends found on Wood’s Rosa Americana Coins and
Related Medals xxii
Chapter Title Page
1 A Brief History of the Rosa Americana Coinage of William Wood 1
2 Circulation in the American Plantations 21
2.1 Early Circulation or Lack Thereof 21
2.2 Later Circulation 22
2.3 Recoveries and Finds 23
3 Making the Coins 31
3.1 Design Considerations 31
3.1.1 Obverses 31
3.1.2 Reverses 31
3.2 The Coining Process 33
3.2.1 Die Preparation 33
3.2.2 Matrix and Punch Preparation 38
3.2.3 Planchet Preparation 39
3.2.3.1 Pre-patent Patterns of 1717 40
3.2.3.2 General Circulation Rosa Americana Coins of
1722 – 1723 and Associated Patterns 40
3.2.3.3 Post-1724 Patterns 45
3.2.4 Striking 46
3.2.5 Circulation Wear 48
3.3 Manufacturing and Production Facilities 49
3.4 The Quantities Produced 51
3.5 Conventions Used 52
3.5.1 Taxonomy 52
3.5.2 Identification Scheme 53
3.5.3 Use of the English Language 53
3.5.4 Coins versus Dies 54
4 The 1717 Pre-patent Patterns 61
5 Rosa Americana Halfpence of 1722 – 1723 67
5.1 Introduction and Summary 67
5.2 Presentation of Obverse and Reverse Dies 72
5.2.1 Obverse Dies and Their Attributions 72
5.2.2 Reverse Dies and Their Attributions 74
5.2.2.1 Uncrowned Rose Reverses
(Die Groups A,B, C, D, and E) 74
5.2.2.2 Crowned Rose Reverses (Die Groups F, G, and H) 77
5.3 Attributing Halfpence by Variety 79
PRESENTATION OF ROSA AMERICANA HALFPENNY OBVERSES 85
PRESENTATION OF ROSA AMERICANA HALFPENNY REVERSES 101
6 Rosa Americana Pence of 1722 – 1724 119
6.1 Introduction and Summary 119
6.2 Presentation of Obverse and Reverse Dies 128
6.2.1 Obverse Dies and Their Attributions 128
6.2.2 Reverse Dies and Their Attributions 129
6.2.2.1 Uncrowned Rose Reverses
(Die Groups A, B, C, and D) 129
6.2.2.2 Crowned Rose Reverses
(Die Groups Ea, Eb, F, and G) 131
6.2.2.3 The Rose Bush Reverse (Die Group H) 132
6.3 Attributing Pence by Variety 133
PRESENTATION OF ROSA AMERICANA PENNY OBVERSES 139
PRESENTATION OF ROSA AMERICANA PENNY REVERSES 191
7 Rosa Americana Twopence of 1722 – 1724 243
7.1 Introduction and Summary 243
7.2 Presentation of Obverse and Reverse Dies 247
7.2.1 Obverse Dies and Their Attribution 248
7.2.2 Reverse Dies and Their Attribution 249
7.2.2.1 Uncrowned Rose Reverses
(Die Groups A, B, and C) 249
7.2.2.2 Crowned Rose Reverses
(Die Groups D, E, F, G, H, and I) 254
7.3 Attributing Twopence by Variety 257
PRESENTATION OF ROSA AMERICANA TWOPENCE OBVERSES 259
PRESENTATION OF ROSA AMERICANA TWOPENCE REVERSES 293
8 Post-1724 Rosa Americana Patterns 325
8.1 Introduction 325
8.2 Princess Wilhelmina Charlotta Medal 325
8.3 The 1727 George II Pattern 326
8.4 The Pattern Twopence of 1733 328
8.5 Other Related Patterns 331
8.6 Summary 332
9 Trial and Experimental Strikes 335
9.1 Introduction 335
9.2 Presentation of Specially Struck Pieces 335
9.3 Reeded-Edge Examples 338
9.4 Thin Planchet Strikings 341
9.5 Off-Metal Strikes 342
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Appendix Title Page
A Miscellanea Rosa Americania 345
A.1 Errors Introduced During the Coining Process 345
A.1.1 Planchet Production Errors 345
A.1.2 Errors in Striking 345
A.2 Post-Strike Modifications 347
A.2.1 Revaluation 347
A.2.2 Plugged and/or Counterstamped 347
A.2.3 Love Tokens, Identification Badges, and Other Engraved
Examples 349
A.3 Reproductions 352
A.3.1 Struck Copies 352
A.3.1.1 19th Century Struck Copies 352
A.3.1.2 Recent Struck Copies 352
A.3.2 Electrotype Copies 356
A.3.3 Cast Copies 358
A.3.3.1 Early Cast Copies to 1950 358
A.3.3.2 Recent Cast Copies Since1950 361
A.4 Documentation 370
A.5 Fun Stuff 376
B Grading Standards 381
C Rarity Estimates for Wood’s Rosa Americana Coins &
Provenances Of Classical Rarities 378
C.1 Purpose 378
C.2 Rarity Estimates of Rosa Americana Varieties 378
C.3 Provenances of Rosa Americana Pattern Rarities 394
C.3.1 Rarity and Provenance of 1717 Pre-patent Patterns 394
C.3.1.1 The Pre-patent Halfpenny Pattern 394
C.3.1.2 Pre-patent Penny Patterns 395
C.3.1.3 Pre-patent Twopence Pattern 397
C.3.2 Rarity and Provenance of Halfpenny Patterns 398
C.3.2.1 4.1-H.1 Halfpenny Pattern 398
C.3.3 Rarity and Provenance of Penny Patterns 398
C.3.3.1 xx-A.1 Penny Patterns 398
C.3.3.2 xx-A.2 Penny Patterns 399
C.3.3.3 xx-G.1 Penny Patterns 400
C.3.3.4 5.1-H.1 Penny Patterns 401
C.3.3.5 6.1-H.1 Penny Patterns 402
C.3.4 Rarity and Provenance of Twopence Patterns 402
C.3.4.1 1.1a-A.1 Twopence Patterns 402
C.3.4.2 1.1b-A.1 Twopence Patterns 403
C.3.4.3 3.13-G.1 Twopence Pattern 403
C.3.4.4 5.1-H.1 Twopence Patterns 404
C.3.4.5 6.1-I.1 Twopence Patterns 405
C.3.5 Rarity and Provenances of the Post-1724 Patterns 405
C.3.5.1 1727 Pattern Coin 405
C.3.5.2 1733 Pattern Twopence 405
C.4 Key Auctions of Rosa Americana Coins 407
C.5 Museum Holdings 407
D A Correlation of Rosa Americana Varieties in Earlier Taxonomies 425
With the Martin Taxonomy
D.1 Introduction 425
D.2 Sylvester Crosby 425
D.3 William Von Bergen 427
D.4 Dr. Philip Nelson 428
D.5 Robert Vlack 428
D.6 Don Taxay 428
D.7 Walter Breen 430
D.8 Q. David Bowers 432
D.9 Other Writers 432
D.9.1 Edgar Adams 432
D.9.2 R. S. Yeoman 433
E Wood’s Patent for Rosa Americana Coins 439
F The Will of William Wood 447
G Metallurgical Analysis of the Coins 451
G.1 Introduction and Purpose 451
G.2 Chemistry 452
G.3 Internal Structure of the Rosa Americanas 455
G.4 Hardness and Ductility Testing 456
G.4.1 Hardness 456
G.4.2 Ductility 460
G.5 Surface Bubbling 461
G.6 Summary 464
H Contemporary Documentation 467
I Timeline for the Production of Wood’s Hibernia and
Rosa Americana Coins 481
LIST OF TABLES
Table Title Page
1-1 Raw Material Cost of a Short Ton of Bath Metal 7
1-2 Total Cost Per Ton of Rosa Americana Coins 8
1-3 Expected Weight of Rosa Americana Coins under Two Different,
Patent-Specified Weight Standards 8
1-4 Cost to Produce a Rosa Americana Penny under the Three Different
Weight Standards – High, Low and Average 9
2-1 Rosa Americana Recoveries 25
2-2 Geographical Dispersion of Rosa Americana Coins by Denomination 29
2-3 Distribution by Denomination 29
2-4 Distribution by Date 29
3-1 Composition of Rosa Americana Planchets 42
4-1 Identification and Description of the Pre-Patent Pattern Dies and Types 63
4-2 Metrology of Illustrated Patterns 65
4-3 Rarities of the 1717 Pre-Patent Patterns 65
5-1 Halfpenny Obverse Die Groups 67
5-2 Halfpenny Reverse Die Groups 68
5-3 Halfpenny Types 68
5-4 Physical Parameters of Rosa Americana Halfpence 71
5-5 Obverse-Reverse and Reverse-Obverse Listings for Known
Halfpenny Varieties with Rarity Estimates 72
6-1 Penny Obverse Die Groups 120
6-2 Penny Reverse Die Groups 120
6-3 Penny Types 123
6-4 Physical Parameters of Rosa Americana Pence 126
6-5 Obverse-Reverse and Reverse-Obverse Listings for Known
Penny Varieties, with Rarity Estimates 127
7-1 Twopence Obverse Die Groups/Subgroups 244
7-2 Twopence Reverse Die Groups 244
7-3 Twopence Types 247
7-4 Physical Parameters of Rosa Americana Twopence 250
7-5 Obverse-Reverse and Reverse-Obverse Listings for Known
Twopence Varieties, with Rarity Estimates 250
8-1 Descriptions of the Post-1724 Rosa Americana Patterns 332
9-1 Known Off-Metal Strikings 343
B-1 Grading Standards for Rosa Americana Coins 382
C-1 Definition of Rarity Designators Used 388
C-2 Table of Rosa Americana Holdings 390
C-3 Rosa Americana Coins in the Garrett III Sale 409
C-4 Rosa Americana Coins in the Roper Sale 410
C-5 Rosa Americana Coins in the Norweb II Sale 411
C-6 Rosa Americana Coins in the Ford IX Sale 413
C-7a Rosa Americana Holdings of the American Numismatic Society –
Authentic Examples 417
C-7b Rosa Americana Holdings of the American Numismatic Society –
Replicas 418
C-8 Rosa Americana Holdings of the British Museum 419
C-9 Rosa Americana Holdings of the Museum of Connecticut History 420
C-10 Rosa Americana Holdings of Colonial Williamsburg 421
D-1 Correlation of Crosby Numbers with Martin Numbers 426
D-2 Von Bergen Types 427
D-3 Correlation of Nelson Numbers with Martin Numbers 429
D-4 Correlation of Vlack Numbers with Martin Numbers 430
D-5 Correlation of Taxay Numbers with Martin Numbers 431
D-6 Correlation of Breen Numbers with Martin Numbers 434
D-7 Numbers of Varieties by Type as Described by Breen 436
D-8 Correlation – Whitman Numbers to Martin Types 437
G-1 Coins Submitted for Testing 451
G-2 Analysis of the Metallic Composition of the Sample Coins via Both Energy
Dispersive X-Ray and Scanning X-Ray SEM Technology 453
G-3 Metallic Analysis in Areas of Coin #7 455
G-4 Hardness Measurements of the Test Coins 459
G-5 Rosa Americana Hardness Compared to that of Some Familiar Coins 459
G-6 Chemical Analysis of the Metal at Each of the Indicated Test Points
of Figure G-8 462
I-1 Timeline Covering the Production of Wood’s Manx, Hibernia, and
Rosa Americana Coins 482
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure Title Page
3-1 Coin Comparisons 32
3-2 Crown of Henry VIII 33
3-3 A Related, Crude Medal of circa 1720 34
3-4 Comparison of Sample Uncrowned Rose Reverses 37
3-5 Comparison of Sample Crowned Rose Reverses 37
3-6 Letter Punch Examples 39
3-7 Depthing Considerations 39
3-8 Technically High Grade Coins Exhibiting Blistered Surfaces 43
3-9 Examples of Eroded and Chipped Pennies – The Result of Brittle Planchets 44
3-10 Examples of Planchets that Cracked During Striking 44
4-1 Pre-patent Pattern Halfpenny 63
4-2 The Three Pre-patent Penny Pattern Types 64
4-3 Pre-patent Pattern Twopence 65
5-1 Photos of Representative Examples of Obverse Halfpenny Die Groups 69
5-2 Photos of Representative Examples of Reverse Halfpenny Die Groups 70
5-3 Illustration of Parameters for Obverse Halfpenny Dies 76
5-4 Illustration of Parameters for Uncrowned Rose Reverse Halfpenny Dies 81
5-5 Illustration of Parameters for Crowned Rose Reverse Halfpenny Dies 82
6-1 Photos of Representative Examples of Obverse Penny Die Groups 121
6-2 Photos of Representative Examples of Reverse Penny Die Groups 122
6-3 “Broad 3” versus “Narrow 3” on Penny Reverse Dies 123
6-4 Examples of Different Obverse Busts Used on Group 2 Rosa
Americana Pennies 123
6-5 Examples of Different Obverse Busts Used on Group 3 Rosa
Americana Pennies 124
6-6 Die Interlock Chart for Obverse Dies 5 and 6 with Reverse Dies G and H 125
6-7 Illustration of Parameters for Penny Obverses 134
6-8 Illustration of Parameters for Uncrowned Rose Penny Reverses 135
6-9 Illustration of Parameters for Crowned Rose Penny Reverses 136
7-1 Photos of Representative Examples of Obverse Twopence Die Groups 245
7-2 Photos of Representative Examples of Reverse Twopence Die Groups 246
7-3 Illustration of Parameters for Twopence Obverses 251
7-4 Illustration of Parameters for Uncrowned Rose Twopence Reverse Dies 253
7-5 Illustration of Parameters for Crowned Rose Twopence Reverses 256
8-1 The Princess Wilhelmina Charlotta Medal 326
8-2 The George II 1727 Pattern Rosa Coin 328
8-3 The Rosa Sine Spina Family 329
8-4 Rosa Americana Twopence Pattern of 1733 330
8-5 Rosa Americana Uniface Twopence Pattern Struck in Steel 331
9-1 A Rosa Americana Penny on an Oversize, Cut Planchet 335
9-2 “Iron Rosa” Twopence 336
9-3 Twopence (Variety 1.1a-A.1) on a Penny-Size, Cut Planchet 336
9-4 Twopence Obverse (Die 6.1) Combined with a Halfpenny Reverse (Die F.2) 337
9-5 Penny Trial (Obverse Die 2.24) 337
9-6 Twopence Trial (Obverse Die 3.3) 338
9-7 Uniface Strikings of Twopence Pieces 339
9-8 Crudely Reeded Rosa Americanas 340
9-9 Example of a Finely Reeded Edge 341
9-10 An Extremely Lightweight, Otherwise “Normal” Penny 342
A-1 Examples of Double Struck Coins 346
A-2 Example of an Off-center Penny 346
A-3 Twopence Cut Down to a Penny-Ha’penny 347
A-4 Plugged and Countermarked Rosa Twopence 348
A-5 Examples of Counterdtstamped Pennies 348
A-6 Love Token Made from a 1733 Pattern Twopence 349
A-7 William Wood’s Personal Pocket Piece 350
A-8 A Silver Penny as a Death Commemorative 350
A-9 Examples of Engraved Coins 351
A-10 Robinson Copy of the 1733 Twopence 352
A-11 Examples of Modern, Struck Chinese Copies 354
A-12 Prototype Cherry Valley “Rosa Americana” Twopence 355
A-13 Production Cherry Valley “Rosa Americana” Twopence 355
A-14 Rosa Americana Electrotype Molds 356
A-15 Electrotypes of High Quality 357
A-16 A Deceptive Electrotype Penny 358
A-17 Early Cast Copies of the Iron Rosa and the 1733 Twopence 359
A-18 Extremely Deceptive Cast Copies 360
A-19 Copies of Rosa Americana Pennies Cast in White Metal 360
A-20 Pre-1950 Cast Rosa Americana Halfpenny 361
A-21 Sample Dies for Peter Rosa’s Production 362
A-22 An Example of a Typical Peter Rosa Vulcanized Rubber Mold 363
A-23 Peter Rosa Copies of Rosa Americana Coins 365
A-24 Numismatique Copies of Rosa American Coins 366
A-25 Dory Development Corporation Copies of Rosa Americana Coins 368
A-26 ReplicaCoins Corporation Copies of Rosa Americana Coins 369
A-27 A Gigantic Twopence Made by the Morgan Mint 370
A-28 Modern Cast Copy 371
A-29 Rosa Americana Example from the “Passport to Newport” Set 372
A-30 Edge-marked, Cast Copy of 1733 Twopence 372
A-31a Chapman-Ryder-Boyd-Ford Provenance 373
A-31b Elder-Ryder-Boyd-Ford Provenance 374
A-32 Author’s Documentation 374
A-33 An EAC-Breen Provenance 375
A-34 A “Whirligig” made from a Rosa Americana Penny 376
A-35 1948 and 1949 ANA National Coin Week Medals 376
A-36 A 1988 Wooden Chit Featuring a Rosa American Penny 377
A-37 Lead Seal 377
A-38 North York 377
B-1 Grading of Rosa Americana Coins by Photograph 383
G-1 Preparing the Coins for Testing 452
G-2 SEM Microphotographs of a Section of Coin #7 Showing Evidence of
Dezincification of the Exterior Surfaces of the Sample 454
G-3 25x Views of Transverse Sections of 1722 Rosa Americana Twopence 457
G-4 Edge Filing to Remove Casting Seam – From a Rosa Americana Twopence 458
G-5 Microphotograph of a Transverse Section of a 1723
Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny 458
G-6 Microphotograph of the Breakpoint of a Rosa Americana Slice that Occurred
During Ductility Testing 460
G-7 Photo of the Rosa Americana Twopence Used for Studying the
Surface Bubbles 461
G-8 Microphotograph of a Single Surface Bubble 462
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