Is it accurate to state ... (Fugio and Nova question)

[James_OldeTowne]

Is this an accurate and meaningful statement?

 

The Nova Constellatio is often associated with the Fugio as the earliest copper issues produced by the Federal government.

 

Thanks for your opinions.

[kryptonitecomics]

I never associated them until you mentioned it....but I would still consider that an accurate statement. (thumbs u

[jesbroken]

According to the 2008 RedBook page 82 in regards to the Nova Constellatio,

Neither the proposed denominations nor the cons advanced beyond the pattern stage.

Assuming(as dangerous as that may be) this to be true, then I would hold that this statement has a flaw in that the Nova Constellation was not an "issue" as they were only pattern pieces.

Should this statement still hold true then why not the Continental Currency pieces as they were actually the first pieces to be made(again as patterns), but were the first silver dollar sized coins ever proposed.

Interesting regardless of which tack one takes.

Thanks, James, this post made me think and it hurts.

[stev32k]

I've read that the Fugio cent was the first coin officially authorized by the U.S. Congress. Obviously there were other U.S. coins before that, but it is the first to be officially sanctioned by the U.S Government.

 

P.S. Happens to be one of my favorites planchet flaw and all:

 

[Conder101]

No I don't think so.

 

The Fugio was a contract coinage authorized by the Federal Government (under the Constitution I believe but I haven't checked the dates closely. Nope just checked Fugio was done under the Articles of Confederation not the current Federal government.).

 

The Nova Constellatio PATTERNS were a privately financed production by a Federal government official to create pieces he could show to influence other into possibly accepting his coinage proposals. They were not authorized by the Federal government.

 

The Nova Constellatio coppers were a private coinage using designs based on the privately produced Nova Constellatio patterns. These had nothing to do with the Federal government.

[BillJones]

Conder beat me to it.

 

The Nova Constellation coppers were a private venture for profit that had nothing to do with the American government. Only the designs had anything in common.

[James_OldeTowne]

Is this an accurate and meaningful statement?

 

The Nova Constellatio is often associated with the Fugio as the earliest copper issues produced by the Federal government.

 

Thanks for your opinions.

From a collector's standpoint, how would one state the association of the two coins? By that, I mean that most collectors who are at least casually interested in acquiring Colonial type coins almost always want these two first.

[BillJones]

As stated in the Red Book, these coins were made in Birmingham, England; shipped to New York and then placed in circulation by a firm known as Constable, Rucker & Co. The "& Co." included Robert Morris and Gouverneur Morris (no relation), who were very much involved in the early American government (s). Both Morris's would have been familiar with the designs that were used in the Nova Constellation patterns, which gave them the idea for the design of their private venture coinage.

 

As a side note the Nova Constellation coppers undoubtedly inspired the reverse design of the Vermont Landscape coppers. There the country of Vermont was lobbying to become the 14 state, which it achieved in the early 1790s.