1787 New Jersey Copper. Maris 45-d, W-5240. Rarity-5+. No Sprig Above Plow, Hypertrophic Ear. VG-8 (PCGS).
145.2 grains. 27.0 mm. Attractive two tone, with chocolate brown fields and medium brown devices. Glossy and pleasing though finely granular on both sides. The obverse is aligned leftward, with a bold frame of denticles at right, while the reverse is ideally centered. A few trivial obverse scratches are seen, including a couple in the right field, but any problems are of minimal impact and are consistent with the grade. Die State 2, with some softness at the lower left obverse. This is a very challenging variety to find in decent grade, as witnessed by the SHI Census that begins with two EF coins and descends to a pair of VF- coins in the fifth and sixth positions. Aside from the NGC VF-35 Ford-Partrick coin, the finest known, the best one of these offered recently was the pleasing VF-25 (PCGS) from the E Pluribus Unum Collection that brought $3,840 in our sale of November 2019.
PCGS# 767859.
From the Sydney F. Martin Collection. Earlier ex Richard August to John Griffee, August 1993; Glen Ivey Collection; McCawley and Grellman's 2004 C4 Convention Sale, November 2004, lot 345.