1779 RI Ship Token (1779 Rhode Island Ship Token) PCGS AU55. Wreath Below, Pewter. This very rare colonial token struck in pewter shows just a touch of very light wear in keeping with the grade, but it has almost pristine, original surfaces with no distracting marks. The coin, which comes with the provenance of the Troy Wiseman Collection, is grayish green and tan with touches of blue and gold on both sides. The strike shows some weakness in the lettering on the ship side and some weakness in the central design of the other side.

Researchers believe that the token was made in England for distribution in the Netherlands during the second half of 1780. The purpose of the token was to discourage the Dutch, who were sympathetic to American independence, from joining the League of Armed Neutrality with Russia, Denmark, and Sweden, against British inspections and blockades of goods for the new country. It commemorated the victory of a British admiral, Richard Howe. In 1778 Major General John Sullivan, who commanded 10,000 American troops and 4,000 French troops under Admiral Comte dEstaing, tried to capture Newport Rhode Island, which was under British control. Howe defeated dEstaings fleet and forced the Continental troops to flee from Conanicut Island, where they were stationed thus abandoning their plans to attack the British.

Richard Howe, a British Admiral, was sympathetic to the colonists and influenced his brother William Howe, who was Commander-in-Chief of British forces during the war, to pursue a course of accommodation and reconciliation.

The obverse of the token shows British Admiral Howes flagship at anchor with sails furled. The reverse shows the 1778 retreat of the American forces from Rhode Island. The inscriptions are Dutch. One theory is that the token was struck as propaganda to persuade the Dutch not to sign the 1780 treaty of neutrality. Another is that the piece is a satire in that first the Americans had to abandon their position on Conanicut Island when they heard that Admiral Howe had arrived, and then fifteen months later, on October 25, 1779, Howe had to leave Rhode Island. The word vlugtende is an error for the Dutch word vluchtende, which means running away. The word vlugtende was meant to be placed on the reverse of the token, which shows the Continental troops fleeing. If satire, it can be read to mean that first the Americans had to run away and now so does Admiral Howe.

The tokens were made in brass and pewter, with pewter being the more rare issue. They are often found in circulated condition, indicating they were used as coins; however, there is no evidence that they circulated in America. In 1936 the Robbins Company made copies in bronze for Horace M. Grant, a local coin dealer in Providence, Rhode Island. The initials H.M.G. appear on the waves below Howes ship on these copies.

In their population reports, both major grading services show 14 Rhode Island pewter Ship Tokens with wreath below in all grades. PCGS shows 3 in AU55 with 5 better.