 1776 Continental Dollar. CURENCY spelling. Dots partially re-cut to rings on reverse. Newman 1-B. Hodder 1-A.2. Pewter (R-7). Weight and edge device undocumentable due to encapsulation. Dies oriented about 20 degrees, approximating ''medal turn.'' Fine. Deep battleship gray fields surround legends and devices that are highlighted in a decidedly lighter gray hue. Any surface marks that may be specifically noted would be commensurate with regular circulation, but an old 'X' like mark well hidden in the N.YORK ring on the reverse is noted for completeness.
This specimen has seen active circulation, with surfaces evenly worn on both sides. Given the softness of the pewter alloy, the more colloquial word ''mush'' might be more appropriate than the word ''wear,'' as the alloy seems to flatten out with handling rather than to wear away. The obverse legends are all bold and clear, while the central design motifs are a bit indistinct; similarly, the linked rings motif and central legends are easily readable, but the states' names can be made out only with some work and foreknowledge.
This specimen represents a very rare survivor from the Newman 1-B die pairing; reverse B represents a phase in the recutting of reverse A that turned the beaded rings of that reverse into the solid rings of reverse C. On high grade examples of reverse B, such as the brass specimen above, the remnants of the beads are quite clear. On this well worn pewter coin, the remaining beads are most visible at the upper parts of the MARYLAND ring, which is at the 6:30 position of the reverse. In addition, we note the wide, malformed and recut 'W' of DELAWARE that is characteristic of reverse B and looks nothing like that of reverse C. Further detailed study will undoubtedly reveal other attribution points on this well worn coin.
Precious few pewter survivors of die combination 1-B are known, and undoubtedly a few more are out there masquerading as the much more common 1-C, as was this specimen. Newman 1-B in pewter was undocumented until the early 1970's, and very few specimens have surfaced since then. As a 1-B, this specimen represents a much earlier striking in the sequence of Continental Dollars as documented by Newman and Hodder in their studies of these historic coins. Pewter 1-B's are rarely offered privately or at auction, and to our knowledge, this Stack's auction represents the first offering of both a brass and a pewter specimen of this rare die pairing. In fact, the 1-B in pewter is rarer than the same die pairing in the rare brass composition! PCGS F12.
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