1860 Idler Copy of the Maryland Denarium, NGC MS67 White Metal

Idler Copy of the Maryland Denarium, MS67
White Metal, W-15675
(circa 1860) Maryland Denarium, Idler Copy, White Metal MS67 NGC. K-2, W-15675, R.6. William K. Idler was a Philadelphia coin dealer, best known today for the previously unknown proof 1884 and 1885 Trade dollars that emerged from his estate. Just prior to the Civil War, Idler struck several die varieties of store cards in various metals, including the present copy of the extremely rare Maryland Denarium or Penny (W-1000). This sharply struck white metal example is lightly toned olive-gold and displays satiny luster. Pristine, aside from a faint mark near the N in DENARIVM.
From The Old New England Collection.

3675262013 1217H50

(1860) William Idler Merchant’s Token
Issued in 1860 by William Idler (1808-1901), a coin dealer of Philadelphia, PA
Like many other professional coin dealers of the era, his business pursuits included other specialties; in addition to numismatics, Idler was also a stationer and a dealer in jewelry and minerals
This is a copy of the Lord Baltimore “denarium” or penny that was originally made in 1658
The original denarium was made of copper and only produced as a pattern.; it was never put into production and only five examples are known
The obverse differs from the original in that the portrait is somewhat different, especially in the hair area, and the legend ends with CT while the original has only the C; of course Idler’s advertisement is not found on the original but is sometimes removed from the copy
The reverse only differs from the original in minor stylistic details (eg. on the original the flags are closer to the top of the poles; on originals the pole top ends with a small ball to which the diamond shaped ornament is attached while in the copy the ornament is directly attached to the pole without the ball)
Obverse features a bust of a woman, facing left, with the legends “CAECILIVS DNS TERRAE MARIAE & CT” and “W. IDLER, DEALER IN COINS, MINERALS &c PHILA”
Reverse depicts a crown with two flags, with the legend “DENARIVM TERRAE – MARIAE”
Dies were made to order by Robert Lovett, Jr. for William Idler