Virginia Half-Penny

Scope and content:

One Virginia Half-Penny, copper, dated to 1773. Features a barely visible portrait of King George III. The King is wearing a laurel wreath on his head in emmulation of Roman Emperors. The face also features visible letters "E" and "X". The reverse reveals a barely visible coat of arms, with the separators between each quadrant easily visible. The bottom left of the coat of arms features a harp, the top left a standing lion, the top right three fleur d'lis, the bottom right is indistinugishable. This Virginia Half-penny was minted in 1773 in London. Virginia was the only colony which had royal permission to mint coinage, which was issued in 1609. Until 1773, however, colonists had used tobacco as well as other imported coins and notes to make purchases. In 1773, the Virginia assembly voted to mint currency, which was delivered to Richmond but was not released because the assembly lacked a royal charter explicitly allowing them to do so. The charter was delivered a year later on the eve of the revolution, and the coins were promptly released. This first release of Virginia coins resulted in peolpe hoarding the coins due to the unsure outcome of the revolution. 24mm diameter. Very worn condition. Recovered by Robert Nelson Howard in 1926 on his property Bay View on Fish Neck in Dare, Virginia. Donated along with 48 other coins and one brass button; only 15 coins could be located as of this entry. Image available at https://www.flickr.com/photos/scrc/5446171112/. Located in T&E S6 SS2, Box 1. Mss 1926.072.A15

Access and use

Location of collection:
College of William and Mary
Special Collections Research Center
Earl Gregg Swem Library
College of William and Mary
400 Landrum Drive
PO 8795
Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795
Contact for questions and access:
Phone: (757) 221-3090
Fax: (757) 221-5440
Parent restrictions:
Collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.
Parent terms of access:
Before reproducing or quoting from any materials, in whole or in part, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.