Christy J. writes:Â A friend of mine recently brought a coin for me to look at that she had found in an old button box that had belonged to her grandmother. The coin does not appear to be gold, but it has the date of 1787 and the name Columbia, along with other writing. I have never seen anything like this before, although not being a collector this is not unusual. The coin is a little bit larger than a quarter, is irregularly shaped, as it is not a perfect circle, and the printing on the coin is not centered. The coin is rather thin. Do you have any ideas on where I can find any more information on this coin. None of the sites I have visited on the web have gone back to 1787.
Immunis Columbia (Immune Columbia) pieces are part of the late Colonial period. They are considered experimental pieces or patterns for proposed coinage for the United States. Several pieces exist that feature a seated figure of “Justice”. The 1787 type has an image of an eagle on the reverse. George Wyon is traditionally credited to have created the die work. Values depend on condition (grade). Range:$400-$3,000.
There is a single gold specimen in the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian. It was obtained from renowned collector Matthew  A. Stickney in exchange for an 1804 silver dollar.
