1786 Non Vi Virtute Vici Copper. Small Head. Musante GW-7, Baker-13, W-5730. VF-35 (PCGS).131.8 grains. A sharp and attractive example of this important Confederation-era rarity. Even dark olive brown with finely granular surfaces, a bit lighter brown on the smooth devices. The obverse is aligned to 4 oclock, with the die edge visible beyond complete denticles at left. The reverse shows its typical rotation, a little more than 90 degrees clockwise from standard coin turn, and good centering that allows for complete denticulation around the entire border. Two old scratches run parallel at Washingtons collar, the lower one a bit stouter while the top one is a bit longer, but no other marks of any consequence are seen on that side. On the reverse field, a short horizontal scrape is seen in front of the seated figures profile, a thin scratch between EO of NEO, and a few marks elsewhere, none serious. This piece is free of the post-circulation damage seen on many of this pieces, as this issue seems more prone to tooling, burnishing, and other sorts of repairs than most types. The overall eye appeal is excellent, with even color, excellent sharpness, and a fine in hand appearance.<p>Weve offered only five different specimens of this rarity since the 2004 Ford sale, more than 20 years ago. Over the same 20 year interval, Heritage has also sold five discrete specimens, two of which were among the five sold from our podium, making a total of just eight coins available at auction since 2004, about evenly divided between coins that received numerical grades and Details grades. <p>This type has always found a prominent place in collections of Washingtoniana, early American coins, and Confederation-era state coppers. Likely struck in New York City, this piece is linked to New Jersey coppers and may have been intended initially as a pattern for state coinage of New York. A quantity was struck for circulation, of which perhaps 30 survive today in all grades. Few are high grade and few are choice for their grade no matter what their state of wear. This piece offers a fine balance of eye appeal and overall condition.PCGS# 422. NGC ID: B7UW.PCGS Population: 1, 6 finer (MS-61 BN finest).From the Richard August Collection.
