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4 Pence - Lord Baltimore "Groat"
| Issuer | Province of Maryland |
|---|---|
| Year | 1659 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The Calvert family coat of arms — a shield quarterly of six, alternating paly of six or and sable with a bend counterchanged (the Calvert arms) and quarterly argent and gules a cross bottony counterchanged (the Crossland arms) — surmounted by a royal crown, all set within a beaded inner circle. The design is rendered in the hammered style consistent with other Lord Baltimore coinage of the period. The Latin motto legend encircles the shield between the beaded borders, with the denomination numeral IV appearing to the right of the shield. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Cecil Calvert, the second Lord Baltimore, commissioned this coinage — along with shilling, sixpence, and penny denominations — from a London mint in 1659 to address the chronic shortage of small change plaguing his proprietary colony. The coins never circulated widely. Most are believed to have remained in England or been absorbed into the general silver supply before reaching Maryland in meaningful quantities, which accounts for why surviving specimens in any grade are genuinely scarce.
The groat is the rarest of the four denominations struck in the series. PCGS and NGC combined populations remain in the low dozens across all grades.