Why is This Token Called “Ugly Head?”
When you consider all of the Washington Tokens and colonial-era copper coinage collected today, the 1784 Washington the Great “Ugly Head” Token is one of the rarest. This token is one of several privately produced Washington portrait tokens struck in the years immediately following the American Revolution, when the United States lacked a national mint and a formal coinage system.
Struck in copper, the few 1784 Washington the Great “Ugly Head” Tokens that exist are all of a dark brown color and very weakly struck. This very rare token, called the “Washington the Great” token, is also known as the “Ugly Head” token. The crude portrait has led some experts to believe the engraver lacked an accurate likeness of Washington, while others suggest it may have been intentionally satirical.
Poor Quality of the 1784 Washington the Great “Ugly Head” Token
On the few examples where this is discernible, the strike may be doubled, and the head may only be outlined, with little to no of the legend being present. Most known examples are weakly struck, often with soft details. The engraving quality is considered inferior compared to that of later Washington tokens, and condition greatly affects rarity and desirability. 1784 Washington the Great “Ugly Head” Tokens are likely to have the following differences:
- Legend spacing
- Bust style
- Reverse wreath details
- Variation in planchet thickness
Design Details
The obverse features a right-facing portrait with somewhat distorted features. Around the periphery is the legend “WASHINGTON THE GREAT D. G.” This is an imitation of the legend on British coins with the “D. G.” representing “DEI GRATIA” (translates to by the Grace of God).
The reverse has 13 linked (joined) rings, representing the 13 original colonies. The rings are labeled with the first letter of each colony’s name (M for Massachusetts, C for Connecticut, etc.). In the center of the reverse is the date, in two lines, “17 | 84”.
It is believed that this item, unlike most Washington Pieces, was created in America rather than England, given the crude nature of the engraving and design. And the joined rings on the reverse in the image above look similar to those on 1787 Fugio Cents, which were minted later.
What We Know of the Existing Examples
There are four verified examples in copper and one in white metal, all of which are extremely well circulated and worn and are considered valuable; a Poor-1 example sold for $10,000 back in 2010. The pictured example, graded VF-25, has been described as the finest known example. There is also a known silver example, but it is believed to be an electrotype rather than an original.
The 1784 Washington the Great “Ugly Head” Token is an extremely rare and important piece of colonial Americana, whether it was intended as satire or simply poorly designed. This token is commonly added to Washington portrait token series collections, Confederation-era token collections, and early American copper collections. Expand your collection with these rare American tokens or explore other colonial coins.
