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 Replies: 11 / Views: 948 |
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Valued Member
United States
113 Posts |
One more in my quest to have an example of all the major pre-1800 post-colonial US coinage is this 1783 Nova Constellatio. Not super nice but I've never really been able to afford really nice things, I've learned to settle for almost nice things. I wanted one with the small US that's visible, not a fan of the script version. It's weak, but you can see it. Now I just need someone desperate to get out from under an almost nice Fugio, perhaps even with an almost nice hole in it.   |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
74624 Posts |
Nice purchase!  Errers and Varietys.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
8517 Posts |
Love it !
Oregon coin geek.....*** GO BEAVS ! ! ! ***
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Pillar of the Community
United States
828 Posts |
Very nice.
I too would like a nice Fugio!
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Moderator
 United States
97062 Posts |
very nice coin! |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1658 Posts |
Nice! I'm kind in the same mindset, not many of my colonials are truly "nice" by some standards but I like them! I'm actually working on a set of all the normal varieties of the Nova Constellatio coins. I'm leaving out the uber rare contemporary counterfeits and mules. I just sprung for a 1783 1-A which seems to be a pretty hard variety to find "nice"! These circulated very heavily in the early days of our country and were host coins for tons of New Jersey and Connecticut overstrikes. Congratulations!
Edited by lcutler
09/28/2025 04:04 am
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Valued Member
 United States
113 Posts |
lcutler: Yeah, I'm looking at your 1-As on Heritage right now and the last one they sold was 3 years ago for 11K in AU55, wow. I like the small US on reverse with the sloppy S. The history of essentially a future superpower putting it's first stamp on a national coinage issue to some extent. Gratz on getting one. I really like them. Have you posted pictures of it here? I did a quick search on Novas and don't see any. How fascinating the read of the guy with a Connecticut struck over a Nova.
So if I'm reading all the research right that (Crosby 1-A) is essentially the very first die pair of the very first attempt at a national US coin?
Edited by Bdlc
09/28/2025 3:35 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1658 Posts |
I don't think it's actually known which variety was minted first. These coins are regular series Nova Constellatio were just a private issue minted in England purchased by US merchants, so they are actually a privately minted token and not a regular issue of US coins. The design was based on the Nova Constellatio pattern pieces that were rejected by congress. There are actually two 1-A varieties, the really rare one is a 1786 contemporary counterfeit. There are actually 1783 1-A is a little tougher than the most common varieties but doesn't really command too much of a premium. |
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Valued Member
United States
113 Posts |
Yes. The indication is that even though they were based on the patterns that Congress rejected, the coins did actually circulate at the time and should be the first circulating coins bearing "US".
It is also interesting that apparently many of the colonial coppers were struck over the top of these. Will have to look a bit more closely for traces of a Nova under colonials.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1658 Posts |
I like the block US better as well, the script US doesn't even look like US to me! I have to admit I never posted any pictures and would actually have to figure out how! An ebay search for Nova Constallatio usually turns up a Connecticut or two with a Nova under type. Machin's mills was prolific in using Novas as planchets and most of the Connecticut overstrikes came from there. I only have one "obtainable" variety left, 1785 4-D. After that one maybe I'll try ID'ing Nova's as undertypes and see how many of them I can get. Edited by lcutler
09/29/2025 05:15 am
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Moderator
United States
189142 Posts |
Very nice! |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1658 Posts |
I just finished reading an article on the Nova Constellatio coppers by Gary Trudgen in the latest issue of the C4 newsletter. It's the publication of the Colonial Coin Collectors Club. Quite interesting, Gary Trudgen gives some compelling arguments attributing the coppers to 4 different mints, some in England and some in the US. He uses die punch linkage to connect some of the varieties to some of the US made imitation British coppers, US made pattern pieces and New Jersey coppers. Very interesting.
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Replies: 11 / Views: 948 |
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Posted 09/27/2025 8:49 pm
