1783-95 John Burger & F&G Regulated Gold,  Brazil 1771R 6400R NGC VG Details. Despite it being crudely holed at 12:00, this double regulated 1783-95 John Burger and F&G 1771 Rio Mint 6400 R coin is extremely rare and historically important. The host coin, a piece from colonial Brazil has a uniform light yellow gold color. It has been clipped on its side, re-edged, plugged and hallmarked with a script JB monogram for John Burger in a round cartouche and F&G in an oval one. It has been regulated to 9DWT or $8.00, most likely correct for the post-Revolutionary standard before it was holed. The coin has some mint made striations across the central obverse, a few minor scrapes and scratches on the reverse center, and some tiny digs at the bottom of the shield. The dentils have been clipped down, and there is a straight clip at the left side starting above the P of JOSEPHUS and down to the curls. The coin is plugged at its center and stamped F&G on the center obverse. A small plug over the Kings eye, the common location for Burger, is marked JB, but the hallmark is upside down, which is atypical for Burger.

In the United States during the Confederation era, gold from Europe and South America circulated and was accepted for commerce. Since the coins varied in fineness and weight, certain jewelers were authorized to correct the coin weights to ensure equity. Among the various regulators were Ephraim Brasher, John Burger, Robert Cruikshank, William Hollingshead, Myer Myers, Thomas Pons, Joseph Richardson, and Daniel Van Voorhis. To raise the weight or gold content of the foreign coins, they applied gold plugs with punches. They clipped coins to reduce their weight. Coins came from Brazil, Chile, England, France, Portugal, Spain and other countries. The use of marked or plugged coins became commonplace throughout the new country and in the West Indies as well.

Thomas Jefferson spoke about regulated gold being like architecture where putting up and pulling down is a favorite amusement. Jefferson meant that gold coins values based on their weights and finenesses changed over time. For example a coin might lose some weight from honest wear. It would also lose weight from the unscrupulous practices of clipping and sweating. Sweating was shaking a bag of coins to gather the chips and dust that resulted. Consequently, it was necessary to adjust or regulate these coins by adding gold in the form of a plug.

The usual numismatic rules do not apply to these unusual and historic pieces. Under normal circumstances, a coins value is considerably diminished by counter stamping, drilling, and plugging. However, in the case of Regulated Coins, their value is greatly enhanced. Typically Regulated Coins were found only in the famous and advanced collections of Garrett, Eliasberg, Ten Eyck, Ford, Roper, Brand, Jackman, and Newcomer.

John Burger was a New York silversmith who also regulated coins for the new United States government. In 1786 his address was listed as 207 Queen Street in New York City. He was born in 1747 and died in 1828. He married Sarah Baker in 1767. They had two children, Thomas and David. He was an apprentice to Myer Myers, a leader in the New York Jewish community and ardent supporter of the Patriot cause. In 1775 he was a partner with William Prichard, and from 1779 to 1783 he partnered with Myer Myers. From 1784 to 1805 Burger worked as a gold and silversmith in New York City. He was a member of the Gold and Silver Smiths Society of New York. Other members of this small guild included Myers and Ephraim Brasher. In 1803 John Burger was also appointed as Corner in New York City. From 1805 to 1806 he worked with his sons, Thomas and David, at 62 James Street. In 1825 he was appointed as Regulator of Public Clocks in New York City.

The F&G hallmark is one of the most common of the regulators. It is often found in combination with Ephraim Brasher and John Burger. Lewis Fueter and unknown partner G was an old Tory firm that regulated coinage in occupied New York during the Revolutionary War. Edward Roehrs wrote a brief biography of Fueter in the December 2005 issue of The Numismatist. Fueters father, Daniel, was a well known silversmith in New York who worked for the British making peace medals. Father and son worked together in 1769, but the son soon began running the business alone. F&G always marked at the center, often with a big lumpy plug. According to Roehrs, Lewis Fueter died in Jamaica in 1784 at the age of 38, just months after the end of the British occupation New York.  He had left New York for Halifax, like many Loyalist evacuees, before ending up in Jamaica and meeting his early death.

G of F & G may have been William Gilbert, one of New Yorks leading silversmiths, but he was a Patriot. More likely it was James Gough, a little known silversmith. Researchers believe that he was a Tory who left New York when the city went back to Patriot control. His shop was on Beaver Street in 1769, a block away from Fueters.
The host coin shows a laureate head of Joseph I, King of Portugal from 1750 to 1777. His name and title are inscribed around his portrait with the date and mintmark below. The reverse shows the arms on a crowned ornate shield. Joseph was devoted to the Church and the opera. He assembled one of the greatest collections of operatic scores in Europe. He placed the power of government in the hands of the Marquis of Pombal, and the history of Josephs reign was determined by Pombal who expelled the Jesuits, gained control of public education and church lands and brought the country from conservative Catholicism to the Age of Enlightenment.

During his reign the great Lisbon earthquake took place in 1755. Approximately 100,000 people died. It caused Joseph to develop sever claustrophobia. He moved the royal court to the hills of Ajuda, where he lived in a complex of tents. He was afraid to live in a walled structure for fear that it might collapse on him.  Eventually, Lisbon was rebuilt, and a statue of Joseph dominates the main plaza. When Joseph died in February of 1777, the throne went to Maria I, his daughter, and Pombals rule ended. Maria hated him because of his violent behavior and arrogance. 

The grading services do not publish population numbers for regulated coins; however, it is absolutely safe to assume that this coin is extremely rare and unquestionably unique.