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January 15, 2026
Touching History: The NY INT Coins That Funded a Revolution
Every coin whispers secrets if you know how to listen. When you hold one of the legendary “NY INT” pieces – those enigmatic artifacts traded in hushed tones among collectors – you’re not just grasping silver or copper. You’re feeling the weight of history itself. Picture New York in 1787: the clink of pewter tankards in dim taverns where Alexander Hamilton argued monetary policy, the ringing hammers in Ephraim Brasher’s workshop where private coinage became acts of rebellion. These aren’t mere relics; they’re time machines forged during America’s first currency war.
Historical Significance: Coins Forged in Constitutional Fire
The Colonial Economy Under Siege
Imagine a world where Spanish dollars jingled against British shillings in your pocket, Dutch lion dollars bought bread, and Continental paper money lined trash barrels. This was New York’s monetary anarchy post-Revolution. Into this chaos stepped visionary craftsmen like Brasher, heroically addressing the coin famine through three lifelines:
- Emergency Silver Coinage (1783-1787): Filling arteries starved by Continental currency collapse
- Copper Halfpennies: Breathing life into markets where workers bartered nails for milk
- Gold Doubloons: The EB-stamped 1787 masterpiece – a mercantile crown jewel
“No single act did more to undermine confidence in our currency than the flood of foreign coins and counterfeit coppers”
– Alexander Hamilton, 1790 Report on a National Mint
Hearing Hamilton’s frustration, you understand why these coins’ numismatic value transcends metal content – they’re surviving soldiers from our financial revolution.
The Political Powder Keg
While Constitutional debates raged, coins became political grenades. Federalists saw private minting as treason; Anti-Federalists celebrated it as liberty in action. Study the designs: no federal eagles here, just Hudson River sloops and defiant Latin mottos. The very strike of these dies echoed New York’s dissent.
Minting History: Decoding the Artifacts
Technical Specifications of New York’s Emergency Coinage
For collectors, these pieces offer irresistible allure. Their collectibility hinges on key identifiers:
| Holy Grail Coin | Metal | Weight | Authentication Clue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brasher Doubloon (1787) | Sunlit 22k Gold | 26.6g | EB counterstamp burning bright on eagle’s breast |
| New York Excise Shilling | Stormcloud .892 Silver | 6.68g | “EXCELSIOR” legend with confident strike |
| Machin’s Mills Halfpence | Earth-toned Copper | 9.4g | Crude “N.Y.” whispering beneath the bust |
Condition is king: an Excise Shilling in mint condition exhibits original luster that’ll quicken any numismatist’s pulse.
The Secret Mint of Turtle Bay
Recent discoveries reveal Brasher and metallurgist Samuel Osgood operated near today’s UN headquarters – a riverside hideaway pumping out three legendary series:
- Pine Tree Shillings (1785-1786): Nostalgic nods to Massachusetts’ arboreal coins
- “Nova Eboraca” Coppers (1787): A rare variety flaunting New York’s Latin identity
- EB Doubloons (1787): Seven originals survive – each with patina telling unique tales
Political Context: Currency as Rebellion
Coins Versus the Constitution
These weren’t just currency – they were rebellious acts struck while Philadelphia debated monetary control. New York’s coins declared independence through:
- 1787 dates minted before federal authority existed
- Local pride blazing in schooner designs and beaver motifs
- Conspicuous absence of federal symbols – no eagles need apply
The Counterfeit Epidemic
British forgers flooded markets with lightweight imitations, sparking brilliant countermeasures:
- Complex edge lettering – colonial “tally marks” foiling fakers
- Jaw-dropping high relief work – a strike quality impossible to cheaply replicate
- .892 silver stamps – guarantees of purity in uncertain times
Why These Coins Matter Today
Rarity and Survival Rates
Of 30,000 Excise Shillings struck, perhaps 120 survive with decent eye appeal. When a Brasher Doubloon hammered at $4.5 million in 2014, it confirmed what we know: these coins are blue-chip history. Value drivers include:
- Colonial Provenance: Ironclad pre-1792 pedigrees
- Historic Pedigrees: Garrett Collection pieces command 30% premiums
- Condition Rarity: Most survivors graded VF or lower – find one XF and you’ve found treasure
Authentication Challenges
Collectors, beware! These tips separate truth from trickery:
- Electrotypes fail specific gravity tests – real coins have honest weight
- Tooled dates on restrikes disrupt natural patina flow
- Genuine dies show charmingly irregular hand-punched letters
Conclusion: History Solidified in Silver
New York’s 1787 coinage transcends numismatic value – it’s physical democracy. When you examine these pieces at NYINC or handle them under gallery lights, remember: you’re not just seeing coins. You’re touching the EB counterstamp Brasher struck with his own hammer. You’re tracing the Excise Shilling’s wear patterns from long-dead farmers’ calloused hands. For historians and collectors alike, these remain our most visceral connection to the birth pangs of American finance – each surviving piece a miracle of survival, waiting to share its story with worthy stewards.
