1783 Gold Silver 13-Sided Nova Constellatio 2-pc Set NGC MS70 First Day of Issue Smithsonian Label

Extremely rare and limited set.

The Colonial Coin That Might Have Been

In the early 1780s, there was no consistency among the coinage used throughout the United States. Some people used coins from other countries and others used money that was unique to their region. The value of goods fluctuated from state to state, and the accepted currency also differed.  Despite the fact that the Articles of Confederation gave Congress the “sole and exclusive right and power of regulating the alloy and value of coins struck by their own authority, or by that of the respective states,” it didn’t provide any guidelines, which begged the question “How do you go about setting up a new system that will work for every state?”

The First Coins Struck Under The Authority Of The United States

Several options were proposed, including one—the Nova Constellatio—in 1783 by Founding Father Robert Morris, the nation’s Superintendent of Finances and the man credited with financing the Revolutionary War. Morris’ proposal was intended to unite America’s currency system and allow for easy conversion between the many foreign coins in use at the time. The Nova Constellatio system was based on a small monetary unit and appeared in three silver denominations: the mark (1,000 units), the quint (500 units) and the bit (100 units), as well as a copper piece worth five units. Morris’ proposal used something very commonplace today—decimal accounting—but this was the first time a coinage system like this had been seen in the Americas or even Western Europe. The proposal was rejected, but not before a few exploratory pieces were minted—the first coins struck under the authority of The United States of America!

COIN HIGHLIGHTS:

• TRIBUTE TO AMERICA’S FIRST PATTERN COINS – These commemoratives pay tribute to the 240th Anniversary of the 1783 Nova Constellatio series, the first pattern coins struck under the authority of the United States. The design on these 13-sided commemoratives depicts the Eye of Providence on the obverse while the reverse symbolizes victory represented by a laurel wreath surrounding U.S. and the denomination of 500 x units.
• STRUCK IN HIGHLY PURE GOLD & SILVER – Each 1783 Nova Constellatio Commemorative was struck by England’s prestigious Commonwealth Mint. The silver piece was struck in two ounces of highly pure 99.9% fine silver and measures 38.6 mm in diameter and the gold piece was struck in an ounce of 99.9% pure (24 karat) gold and measures 30 mm in diameter.
• LICENSED AND APPROVED BY THE SMITHSONIAN – These commemoratives are officially licensed and approved by the Smithsonian.
• UNIQUE ANTIQUE FINISH – These 1783 Gold & Silver 13-Sided Nova Constellatio Commemoratives feature a unique antique finish that provides an aged, satin effect to the fields, while also highlighting the raised devices.
• PERFECT UNCIRCULATED CONDITION – Each piece in your 1783 Gold & Silver 13-Sided Nova Constellatio Two-Piece Commemorative Set has been graded by the Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) in perfect Uncirculated Mint State-70 (MS70) condition.
• KEY FIRST DAY OF ISSUE CERTIFICATION – NGC has certified that these commemorative are First Day of Issue (FDI) releases, independent authentication that they were released by the mint during the premier day of the series’ issue.
• EXTREMELY SMALL EDITION LIMIT – The authorized mintage for these commemoratives is extremely small with just 499 two-ounce silver pieces and only 99 one-ounce gold pieces authorized for worldwide release.