1783-95 Regulated John Burger Brazil $8.00 1748-R, KM 151, NGC XF45. It is likely that this 1783-95 Regulated John Burger $8.00, Brazil, Half Joe circulated in colonial America. It was regulated in the post-Revolutionary period by John Burger to the 9 dwt standard. The host coin is a half joe or 6400 reis of Joao V, King of Portugal from 1706 to 1750. It is clipped and plugged JB with a script monogram in a round cartouche. The plug covers the Kings eye and the bridge of his nose, which is the place where Burger usually put his plug. The plug is slightly raised on the obverse and flat on the reverse. The hallmark is strongly impressed; it tilts downward to the right, and covers most of the plug. The coin was clipped from the V to the O in PORT. The dentils are complete and strong on both sides of the rest of the coin. The light yellow-gold surfaces are original and choice with no individual marks worthy of description. The plug and clip regulate the coins value to $8.00.

Coins from Brazil, Portugal, Spain, France, and England all circulated concurrently in early America. However, each had a different weight and fineness making trade extremely inconvenient. The problem was first dealt with in colonial times, when coins were regulated. This practice continued after Independence. A goldsmith or silversmith would drill a coin and add gold in the form of a plug to increase its weight. If it was then overweight, he would clip and/or file its edge. Thus, coins were regulated to certain standards. The plugs that were added were then stamped with a hallmark indentifying the regulator who guaranteed the gold content of the piece. Regulators, who were also jewelers and highly thought of members of the community,  included John Bayley, Ephraim Brasher, John Burger, John David Jr., Lewis Feuter, Myer Myers, Thomas Pons, Thomas Underhill, and William Hollingshead.

The coin shows a laureate head facing right of Joao V, King of Portugal 1706 to 1750. His name and title are inscribed around his portrait with the date and mintmark below. The inscription reads IOANNES V D G PORT ET ALG REX, which translated means John V by the grace of God, King of Portugal and Algeria. Two years after he became king, he married Maria Anna of Austria, strengthening their alliance. He ultimately made peace with France and Spain and also became subservient to the clergy. The reverse shows the fourth variety of the crowned coat of arms.

Usually numismatists are concerned about a coins pristine quality. In fact, today a perfect coin is given a grade of Mint State 70. Coins that are holed, clipped, filed, plugged, and counter stamped have considerably diminished value to collectors. Most coins in these categories are considered undesirable and would not be certified by any of the major grading services except in the details category.  However, in the realm of regulated gold coins, all of the previous notions of quality and appeal must be abandoned in favor of a different set of assumptions. Even counterfeit coins have been regulated and are highly collectible today. Obviously a regulated coin cannot be in Mint State condition. The host coin must be described in detail and, if possible, graded separately from the plug or plugs. Regulated coins have been found in collections of famous collectors and numismatists. These include Virgil M. Brand, Louis Eliasberg, John J. Ford Jr., John Work Garrett, Waldo Newcomer, and John L. Roper. Edward Roehrs had an excellent collection of regulated coins that was auctioned in 2010 at the ANA Boston Worlds Fair of Money.

It seems unusual to modern sensibility that colonists and citizens of the early republic would have silver tankards, beakers, and porringers; however, it should be noted that these items represented a persons surplus wealth. Since there were no banks where a colonist could keep hard money, they took all their surplus coins to a silversmith and had them melted and made into useful objects. Since paper money often depreciated, savings were safer if invested in silver plate where they could also be useful in the home. In case of a theft, silver could easily be identified by the hallmark and engraving and recovered. If cash were needed, the silver could be taken to a silversmith and be reconverted into money. The silversmith had to be a man of highest integrity because he was expected to turn a certain quantity of silver plate into coin or the opposite.

John Burger was a New York silversmith who also regulated coins for the new government. In 1786 his address was listed as 207 Queen Street in New York City.

Although the grading services do not list regulated coins in their population reports, one can assume that this 1783-95 Regulated John Burger $8.00, Brazil, Half Joe is rare if not unique. In a national auction on August 12, 2010 the coin was uncertified and listed as a XF. Subsequently it was submitted to NGC where it was graded XF45.