1786 New Jersey Copper. Maris 25-S, W-4980. Rarity-5. Straight Plow Beam, Eye in Neck--Counterstamped J. ROTHERY / CAST STEEL (Brunk R-535)--Good Details--Damage (PCGS).
146.0 grains. 28.1 mm. Neatly counterstamped on the obverse from two prepared punches, applied at right angles to each other. The host coin is glossy and chocolate brown, with sharpness (at least before counterstamping) that looks to be in the Fine to Very Fine range. There are a few dents at the left side of the obverse and lower left reverse, undoubtedly from when this copper was tossed onto an anvil in Fishkill, New York and had a hammer taken to it. The date and legends are complete, and most of the horsehead has survived. A marvelous dual collectible, a rare counterstamp applied by John Rothery, who Brunk identified as a hammer maker ca. 1830s-50s. Rulau listed this mark as HT-A464D in his Hard Times Token reference. Brunk lists these marks and a related one on coins dated between 1832 and 1845; no New Jersey copper was known to him. A 1798 large cent with an identical J. ROTHERY mark was published in the July 2012 issue of Penny-Wise. This mark seems to have been the hallmark of Rothery File Works, which was founded in Fishkill, New York in 1835. When this piece ended up on Rothery's anvil, it was probably still a Condition Census coin.
PCGS# 767886.
From the Sydney F. Martin Collection. Earlier from Rosa Americana, Ltd.'s Fixed Price List #17, August 2005, lot 310.