Shilling, Chalmers 1783 “Long Worm” PCGS VG10

This 1783 Chalmers Long Worm shilling was struck in Annapolis, Maryland by John Chalmers, a local silversmith, in the immediate aftermath of the American Revolution during a severe shortage of small change. Commerce in Maryland relied heavily on worn Spanish American silver and lightweight cut pieces, which many merchants distrusted, prompting Chalmers to recoined available silver into standardized local shillings for everyday use. These pieces were privately produced rather than official state coinage and reflect the improvised monetary environment of postwar America before the establishment of a federal mint. The obverse design with clasped hands and the legend “J. Chalmers Annapolis” conveyed trust and local acceptance, while the reverse allegorical scene with birds, hedge, snake, and worm gave the series its distinctive identity and helped discourage counterfeiting. The Long Worm variety is defined by the extended form of the worm beneath the central devices.

Manufacture of the Chalmers shillings was crude by modern standards, and uneven planchets combined with limited striking pressure resulted in frequent softness of detail, making strike weakness a normal characteristic of the series rather than a flaw unique to individual coins. This requires graders and collectors to carefully separate true circulation wear from areas that were never fully struck up. The example shown here displays dark, original surfaces consistent with long, undisturbed circulation and preservation, and it is notably well made for the type. One side shows a surprisingly strong strike relative to most Chalmers shillings, with clear legends and devices, while the opposite side exhibits the more typical weakness expected for the issue. This contrast underscores why such pieces can appear undergraded at first glance, as muted detail is often the result of manufacture rather than wear, and well preserved examples like this are frequently appreciated by experienced colonial collectors beyond their assigned numeric grade.