1786 New Jersey Copper. Maris 19-M, W-4900. Rarity-5. Wide Shield, Drunken Die Cutter. VF-25 (PCGS).，Predominantly smooth and satiny medium brown surfaces are exceptionally attractive for a mid grade New Jersey copper. A few tiny swirls of crimson patina are scattered about, mostly on the reverse. Glints of charcoal tinting here and there around the peripheries are associated with ancient surface build up that is trivial. The denticulation is absent or faint at the upper right obverse and lower left reverse borders due to a slightly off center strike, centers weakly impressed due to die stage, other areas boldly defined. Die Stage 3.<p>Although this piece was cataloged as "Condition Census" in Pine Trees 1976 EAC Sale, the magisterial 2013 Siboni-Howes-Ish New Jersey copper reference confines that list to examples grading AU through EF-. The authors credit the first appearance in print of the Drunken Die-Cutter nickname to Walter Breens unpublished manuscript, in which it is described as:<p><em>"Head and scroll tilt crazily to the left; head much too high in field, close to CAES. Plow handles long and diverge sharply; N distant from them, final A close to beam end. Engravers scratch up from coulter, exceptionally long [singletree] attachment. Base line broken over figure 1. Figures as preceding but larger, cruder. 1 leans far to left, and the four figures are successively lower, resting on the serrations and spread far apart."</em><p>The nickname refers to the obverse die, for the Wide Shield Reverse M is skillfully executed. Although utilizing a different obverse die, Maris 20-N is also known as a Drunken Die-Cutter variety.，PCGS# 498. NGC ID: 2B4H.，，From the LJV Philadelphia Collection. Earlier from Pine Tree Auctions EAC Sale of March 1976, lot 2020.
