COLONIAL AFRICA, British. Gold Coast. George III. King of Great Britain, 1760-1820. AR Proof Set. Soho (Birmingham) mint. Dated 1796. Coat-of-arms / Crowned GR cypher over wreath. PARLIMENT in legend. AR Trade Ackey. Vice 1A; KM Tn6. In NGC encapsulation 6906866-008, graded PF 65 // AR Half Trade Ackey. Vice 4A; KM Tn4. In NGC encapsulation 6924407-013, graded PF 63 // AR Quarter Trade Ackey. Vice 7A; KM Tn2. In NGC encapsulation 6924407-014, graded PF 64 Cameo // AR Trade Taku. Vice 9A; KM Tn1. In NGC encapsulation 6924407-015, graded PF 64. All in NGC encapsulation. Four (4) coins in lot.
From the Drewry Family Collection. Ex Coinhunter (C.E. Bullowa, 18 September 1984), lot 485-487.
In October 1796, the Committee of the Company of Merchants Trading to Africa ordered five hundred pounds sterling worth of silver tokens to be struck for circulation in west Africa. Dies were prepared by Küchler and the shipment was sent to Africa later that year. In September 1801, the committee placed a second order of the same quantity, though with reduced silver standard of .890. The two issues share the same 1796 date, though the first issue misspells the word PARLIMENT in the obverse legend. Proofs of the first issue are extremely rare, with only 22-25 specimens being struck for collectors between 1796 and 1799. While the two issues of the Trade Taku cannot be visually distinguished, the specimen offered here is clearly a part of an original proof set of first issue coins.
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