I don't know if these really surface much on your side of the pond, but the Virginia Half Penny dated 1773 during George III's reign can be found in high grade mint state over here for reasonable prices. This is probably because by the time they were struck at the tower mint and delivered to Virginia in 1775, the revolution was getting underway. The Royal Governor ordered that they be taken to a courthouse in Richmond, Virginia for safekeeping and storage and there they sat for almost 80 years in their sealed kegs. They were discovered just prior to the US Civil War and purchased by a Philadelphia antiques dealer whose decendents still release a few very slowly into the marketplace. I saw one at a coin show that was 100% red and looked as if it was struck yesterday and it was just a bit out of my price range. :')

Farthingman: Depending on condition and color (colour), they can be had for as little as $50 in fine or VG or as much a $3600 for a gem red mint state example with no spots or toning. I find them interesting because Virginia to my knowledge, was the only colony to pass legislation in the General Assembly and have the Royal Governor sign a petition request to Parliment and the Crown for coinage to be struck for the colony. The Tower Mint in London produced the coins with a somewhat updated regal likeness of KG III and the Royal seal on the reverse with the word "Virginia" split on the top. They were somewhat thin and only had the same value in copper as a farthing, which was standard for the day of a colonial pound/-/ or 1/2d being worth half a regal or home pound/-/ or 1/2d. So it took 2 VA 1/2d to equal a regal 1/2d. This was probably done to make it easier to reckon the methods of accounting of the day which was based more on Spanish dollars which was the popular form of hard currency in the American and Carribean Colonies. We also used rum, molasses, tobacco and cod or promissory notes in these commodities. Heck, I even know older folks that never saw more than $5 or $10 here in Virginia in farming communities change hands. Most of the transactions were in trade, but I digress. I will try to get more information on the VA 1/2d for you ASAP.

Best regards from the Old Dominion.

"Rosa Americana" coins were sent her in some quantity, but these were supposed to be struck by for the American Colonies, the smaller Rose farthings were found here too, but there is some debate if they were regal or not. The American colonies were also sent lots of the Woods coins made for Ireland or the "Hibernia" 1/2ds probably because they were really almost brass coins with dubious weight of metal to value so they would meet the 2 to 1 ratio with regal coins. This way a trader could offset his actual cost by almost 75% in smaller transactions. Many US collectors have these in their collections as well.

I am still looking for these coins and will head up to Annapolis, Maryland to a coin show to see what surfaces. Wish me luck!