1787 New Jersey Copper. Maris 56-n, W-5310. Rarity-1. Camel Head--Overstruck on a Contemporary Counterfeit 1781 Irish Halfpenny--Very Fine, Environmental Damage.130.4 grains. This is an intriguing and rare example with plenty of detail remaining to the undertype. On the obverse of the New Jersey copper, the full date 1781 from the Irish halfpenny is evident along the lower border, closer inspection revealing traces of the harp and a few of the peripheral letters. The reverse of the New Jersey copper retains outline detail to the top of King Georges head and a near-completely legible GEORGIVS III around the periphery. The New Jersey copper design is bold over most major features, the date the only major design element absent. Dark olive-charcoal patina throughout with roughness and verdigris explaining our qualifier. The plentiful Maris 56-n Camel Head variety is known overstruck on a host of different coins, with Connecticut coppers the most frequently seen undertype. A contemporary counterfeit Irish halfpenny, as here, is a much scarcer undertype, which fact confirms the significance of this offering for the specialist.Collector envelope with attribution notation included.
