1776 $1 CURENCY, Brass (Regular Strike)

P. Scott Rubin: The 1776 Brass Continental Curency Dollar, like all the 1776 Continental Currency coinage, is a mysterious issue, as there is no known documentation authorizing its issue. This particular variety is peculiar for its incorrect spelling of the word currency on the obverse die. Of Eric Newman’s three different die combinations for this variety, all of which use the same obverse and reverse dies, only the first two are known struck in Brass. These Newman varieties share the same reverse die which was modified twice during its usage.

The Curency (with one R) coins represent three Newman variety numbers N-1-A, N-1-B and N-1-C. The Brass 1776 Continental Dollars are only known for combinations N-1-A and N-1-B. The A reverse has chains around the colonies’ names created by small dots. The B reverse is the same die as A only it has been re-engraved, adding solid lines through the dots for a more solid chain. No Brass specimens are known of Newman 1-C where the reverse die was lapped, the dots almost completely removed, and new, thicker, solid lines were used to create the chains.

The Brass N-1-A Continental Curency Dollar is an extremely rare coin with only three specimens currently known. The Brass N-1-B Continental Curency Dollar is a very rare coin with only twelve specimens currently known.

Of the three known specimens of Brass N-1-A, two were owned by Virgil Brand in the early twentieth century while the third specimen was owned by Col. E.H.R. Green. The finest known Brass N-1-A is graded MS-63 by NGC -- this coin last sold at the January 2015 Heritage auction of the Donald G. Partrick Collection as lot 5834 where it realized $376,000. The second finest know specimen is graded AU-50 and last sold at the November, 2014 Heritage auction of the Eric P. Newman Collection as lot 3036 where it realized $282,000. The third known specimen was graded VF-20 by Bowers & Merena when it last sold at their March 1988 sale of the Norweb Collection as lot 2450 where it realized $11,000.

Of the twelve known specimens of the Brass N-1-B variety eleven are believed to grade Extremely Fine or better, while the twelfth specimen has been graded by NGC as VF-25. Two of the dozen known coins have been graded Mint State. The finest known example, graded MS-63 by NGC, last sold in the August 2009 by Heritage as lot 1002 where it realized $299,000. The only other Mint State specimen, graded MS-62 by NGC, last sold in November 2014 by Heritage as part of the Eric P. Newman Collection as lot 3037 where it realized $440,625.