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1/2 Penny - Rosa Americana
| Issuer | British Crown (for American Colonies) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1722-1723 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1/2 Penny (1⁄480) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | A large, stylized Tudor rose occupies the central field, depicted with two tiers of petals radiating from a granulated seed pod center, with small foliate sprigs extending between the outer petals. The design is bold and well-centered, characteristic of the Rosa Americana series issued under William Wood's patent. The circular Latin legend surrounds the rose motif, incorporating the date, and the entire design is enclosed within a beaded border. The motto UTILE DULCI, meaning 'the useful with the pleasant,' reflects the colonial commercial aspirations of the issue. |
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| Additional information |
Rosa Americana coinage was the brainchild of William Wood, a Welsh ironmaster who in 1722 secured a royal patent — widely believed to have been obtained through bribing the Duchess of Kendal, George I's mistress — to produce copper coinage for the American colonies. The arrangement was deeply unpopular from the start. Colonial merchants objected to the quality of the metal, a proprietary alloy called Bath metal, and to the fact that profit flowed entirely back to Wood and the Crown rather than colonial coffers.
The patent was ultimately suppressed by 1724, in part due to sustained pamphleteering against Wood's Irish coinage running concurrently — most famously by Jonathan Swift.