Q.David Bowers
It was further noted that it took 48 genuine British halfpennies, when new, to weigh one pound avoirdupois, but of the imitation or counterfeit pieces believed to be made in Birmingham, it took 60 to compose one pound weight. The genuine New Jersey coppers at six pennyweights, six grains each, equalled 46 and 2/5 pieces to the pound, or a slightly heavier standard than the British. It was noted at the time that all of these coppers passed without discrimination at 14 pieces to a shilling, or slightly less than the value of a penny, a shilling being composed of 12 pence. It was noted that at this rate a 57% profit would go to coiners of genuine British halfpence, a 96% profit to makers of imitation "Birmingham" halfpence, and a 65% profit to those who made New Jersey coppers.
To remedy these inequities, on April 20, 1787, an act was passed to provide that after August 1st:
N a copper shall pass current in this State except such as are of the standard weight of one third part of an ounce avoirdupois, of pure copper, which copper shall pass current at the rate of 20 to a shilling of the lawful current money of this state, and not otherwise...
An extensive issue of 1787-dated copper coins, each with a head on the obverse surrounded by NOVA EBORAC ("New York") appeared. The reverse of these issues depicted a seated goddess with a sprig in one hand and a liberty cap on a pole in the other hand, with the legend VIRT. ET. LIB. ("virtue and liberty") surrounding, with the date 1787 below. The letter punches used on this issue are similar to those used on the Brasher doubloon die. It has been suggested that John Bailey and Ephraim Brasher operated a mint in New York City and produced these and possibly other issues.
Machin's Mills appears to have been the most prolific of New York-related coinage. As noted, Thomas Machin attempted unsuccessfully to acquire an official patent from the New York legislature. This failure apparently mattered little, for at the time Machin was busily engaged in the coining enterprise and was producing issues of Vermont, imitation British halfpennies, Connecticut coppers, and others.
Some of the dies associated with Machin's Mills and with New York are believed to have been made in Birmingham, England, by Wyon. These were used to strike certain pieces in Birmingham and were later shipped to the United States for continued use. There are many die combinations among these issues, some of which are not logical, and nearly all are of great rarity.
Among other pieces which have been associated with New York are certain issues bearing the figure of Liberty seated on a globe with the legend IMMUNIS COLUMBIA surrounding, and a variation, a figure seated on a bale of merchandise with the legend IMMUNE COLUMBIA around the border. These may have been made by Matthias Ogden, using dies by Atlee in Rahway, New Jersey. Another issue depicts George Clinton on the obverse and the New York State seal on the reverse. Still another illustrates the standing figure of an Indian.
Another issue, struck from dies prepared by James Atlee, features on the obverse a crude bust of George Washington with the legend NON VI VIRTUTE VICI. The reverse contains a Latinization of New York, NEO EBORACENSIS, surrounding a seated figure of Liberty holding the scales of Justice and a Liberty cap, with the date 1786 below.
With the exception of the Nova Eborac coppers, which are scarce, all copper pieces bearing legends relating to New York and all die combinations of such pieces are of great rarity today.
The Coinage of Ephraim Brasher
One of the most famous of all American coin issues is the 1787 gold doubloon issued by Ephraim Brasher, New York goldsmith, silversmith, and jeweler. In the few instances that specimens have appeared in auction catalogues during the past century, great acclaim and publicity has been given to them. A motion picture, The Brasher Doubloon, used this coin as a theme some years ago.
Although Brasher and his coinage have been mentioned in many articles in The American Journal of Numismatics, The Numismatist, and elsewhere, as well as auction catalogues, the first detailed study did not appear until 1958 when Walter H. Breen wrote "Brasher & Bailey: Pioneer New York coiners, 1787-1792" for inclusion in the Centennial Publication of The American Numismatic Society. In 1979 Richard A. Bagg, working in the archives of the New York Historical Society, the American Numismatic Society, and elsewhere, was able to locate extensive additional information concerning Brasher's life. Unfortunately, specific details concerning the issuance of Brasher's famous 1787 doubloon remain elusive, as does data pertaining to the 1742-dated Lima-style doubloon also attributed to him.
Brasher was born in 1744 of Dutch stock. The family had several branches, some of whom used such spelling variations as Brasier, Brazier, Breser, Bresert, and Bradejor. Among family members through the years were other silversmiths, including Ephraim Brasher's younger brother Abraham.
Ephraim Brasher married Anne Gilbert in 1766. Little is known about her other than that her brother was a silversmith. The same year, 1766, possibly represents one of the earliest appearances of Brasher's work in the silversmith trade. A silver coffee pot bearing his hallmark, presently part of the Abbott-Lenox Fund Collection in the New York Historical Society, has been attributed to that date. By that time he was 22 years old and probably had completed his apprenticeship.
During the Revolutionary War, Brasher served as grenadier in the Provincial Army, 1775-1776. In 1783 he was part of the Evacuation Day Committee which celebrated the event of the British troops leaving New York City.
The civic and local affairs of the New York City government were not recorded until February 10, 1784, for New York City was under a military form of government during the Revolutionary period. After that date systematic minutes were kept, some of which mention Brasher.
On August 31, 1785, Ephraim Brasher petitioned the Common Council that "he may be permitted to convert the fire Engine House in St. George's Square into a Place of Business on his erecting a fire Engine House on his own ground." Although several other local proprietors objected to the petition, it was granted on September 29, 1785. Perhaps it was intended to use the structure as a smithing location. St. George's Square was located at the intersection of Pearl and Cherry streets. The New York City Directory, first published in1786, gave 1 Cherry Street as Brasher's address.
The Articles of Confederation, adopted in 1778 and continued in effect until 1789, stipulated that Congress had the power to regulate the value and alloy of coins struck, although the various states had authority to coin money. As Congress had not implemented a framework for federal production of coins, specimens in circulation continued to be a varied mixture which included much foreign coinage.