Owner Comments:
Pictured above, is a 1795 Washington & Security Copper Halfpenny, featuring a lettered edge that reads: "AN ASYLUM FOR THE OPPRESS'D OF ALL NATIONS", taken from a U.S. aspirational letter written by George Washington to the Mechanical Society of Baltimore. (Other varieties of this coin bear either a plain edge, the rarest; or the most common: BIRMINGHAM REDRUTH & SWANSEA, followed by various lunar or planetary symbols; or LONDON LIVERPOOL OR BRISTOL"). Some unusual mulings also exist.
The token/ medal/ button manufacturer, Peter Kempson & Co., then located in Birmingham, England, contracted for the services of Thomas Wyon to engrave the dies for these pieces. They were created, in part, as a speculative issue in the hope that their American themes might promote a more profitable use by the U.S. government, large American merchants, or collectors.
This particular halfpenny has been graded MS 63 BN by NGC, and variously categorized as: Baker 31-A; Breen-1263; Fuld-WA.1795.10; W-11005; GW-48; and, as this token is also collected as part of the British Conder Token Series, it has been assigned the additional designation - Dalton & Hamer (D & H) Middlesex 1052. Past auction appearances can be traced to: Ex Palm Beach Signature (Heritage, 11/2004, Lot 5047; and the NGC award winning Alamo Collection of U.S. Colonial Issues, (Heritage 4/2026).
The coin is a "Top Pop", meaning that it is one of the 2 highest graded at NGC. Although Washington Liberty & Security Halfpennies and Pennies, were produced in large numbers, and circulated widely, this variety carries a rarity URS-6 rating - i.e. only an estimated 17-32 examples exist today.
HISTORY: Washingtonia - i.e. commemorative coins, medals, and tokens depicting our national hero, George Washington, an almost cult-like figure, have been avidly collected for many years. These pieces have been produced both in America and overseas, and at governmental and private mints.
Many Washingtons originated in England in the late 1700s as part of the Conder Token Series (aka 18th Century Provincial Tokens) named after an English businessman and numismatist, James Conder, who was one of the first to definitively catalogue them.They were minted privately as a means of meeting the need for small denomination coins/tokens in everyday transactions, and to thwart the growing population of counterfeit and underweight coins.The British Government had neglected to deal with these deficiencies for years. The themes of the tokens, produced in huge numbers, ultimately morphed in many diverse directions.They served variously as: business store cards, for advertisement purposes; as transactional currency; were used to convey political messages; and often commemmorated great individuals, events, and buildings.