Produced by Peter Getz at a temporary mint in Philadelphia. Obverse: Bust of George Washington in uniform, date below. Reverse: Eagle, stars above. Peter Getz created the dies for these and several other pieces, basing his designs on two British copper proposals of 1791. The United States lacked a mint, and so the Getz pieces were struck in the coach house of John Harper, a metallurgical expert then resident in Philadelphia. Only a few specimens including this piece survive in silver. There are handful more in copper. The scheme for adopting this design came to naught when President Washington declined the honor of appearance on American coinage. Apparently, Washington preferred a depiction of Liberty on the national coinage rather than a portrait of himself.
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