UNDATED FUGIO CENT -
NEWMAN 101-AA (Copper)

Rarity: Extremely Rare

Variety equivalents: Breen 1333

Notes:
Obverse: unfinished Fugio Cent style die, with a sundial in the center and a sun with a sharply defined semicircle of rays surrounding.

Reverse: thirteen circles in a never-ending link, each with the incuse name of one of the thirteen original American colonies.  In the center is a circle with an incuse "AMERICAN CONGRESS".  Rays connect the inner circle with the surrounding links.

A similar reverse (Newman's BB die) has an eye in the center.  The Newman CC die is nearly identical but has "WE ARE ONE" in the center.  Finally, the similar Newman GG die has a blank center (as does this AA reverse), but the rays extend into the surrounding rings.

This variety was illustrated on Crosby's Plate VII, No. 2 and as Figure 46 in his text.  He referred to these as "...other pieces of the same general character, supposed to be patterns..."  He knew of only two impressions of this variety, both in copper, one owned by Mr. Appleton, the other by Mr. Brevoort.

Kessler related James C. Spilman's assessment of this obverse as a "die of uncertain origin."

Breen called this a "Fantasy piece."  He listed two examples in copper, expanding upon the ownership of the two pieces listed by Crosby.

To our knowledge, no other copper examples exist from these dies.

Known examples (2):
1. (illustrated above).  141.8 grains.  Ex - Hoffman - Chambers - Brevoort - New York Coin & Stamp Co.'s "Lorin G. Parmelee" sale, June 25-27, 1890, Lot 663 - Dr. Hall - Virgil Brand - Tony Terranova

2. Bushnell - William Elliot Woodward's "Bache II" sale, December 19-23, 1865, Lot 1823 - William Sumner Appleton - Massachusetts Historical Society

Sources and/or recommended reading:
"The Early Coins of America" by Sylvester S. Crosby

"The Fugio Cents" by Alan Kessler

"Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial Coins" by Walter Breen