1786 New Jersey copper. Maris 16-J. Rarity-6-. Straight Plow Beam. EF-40 (PCGS).143.0 grains. Described in the 1984 Bareford sale as “a variety always seen in the lower grades, making this example a great rarity for condition.” The physical description noted this coin was “well struck with the horse’s eye and most of the mane sharp and clear. Smooth light brown surfaces with no marks or detractions of consequence, except for one tiny nick, mentioned for the sake of identification, on the reverse at nine o’clock. Our records for the variety show no other example within a full grade of the present example.” It was graded Extremely Fine. To this we can add little. The obverse is ideally centered, with a full ring of denticles around the circumference. The little rim nick is seen atop L of PLURIBUS. The surfaces show some trivial granularity but maintain good gloss, excellent color, and very positive visual appeal. The central reverse is a bit soft but the horsehead is strong. On this rare marriage, the horse’s tongue is not yet protruding, making this Die State 1, as seen on all Maris 16-J specimens known.<p>This piece is less worn than the Siboni, Howes, and Ish main plate coin, the fifth-ranked Siboni specimen. Their census lists this as second finest, trailing only the English-discovered Uncirculated coin that brought $36,800 in our September 2006 Norweb sale.<p>Nearly every collection that has contained a Maris 16-J has held only a well worn piece. Taylor owned two, a VG/Fine and an AG. Garrett/Spring Quartette also contained two, one graded VF-20 and another aggressively graded VG/G. Saccone/Resigno owned a VG/Fine. Neither ODonnell nor Norweb owned one at all! The Siboni coin was graded About Very Fine in Ford despite its choice appearance and brought $4,887.50, too low a number by the admission of several who were at the sale. The Maris-Garrett-Picker-Anton coin is of similar grade to this one, but all others ranked below it in the ten-coin SHI Condition Census are accorded grades of VF, including the one impounded in the New Jersey Historical Society.<p>The J reverse is one of those dies that was a Black Widow: she was married to 10 different obverses, dated both 1786 and 1787, as laid out in Michael Hodders important paper "New Jersey Reverse J: A Biennial Die." Though some coins from this reverse are almost common in high grade (14-J being a prime example), this one is the opposite. This attractive example, that last sold publicly 35 years ago, will undoubtedly see strong competition.From the E Pluribus Unum Collection of New Jersey Coppers. Earlier, from the Dr. Thomas Hall Collection; Hall Estate to Virgil Brand, September 1909; Brand Estate to New Netherlands Coin Company to Harold Bareford in 1951; Stacks sale of the Harold Bareford Collection of New Jersey Coppers, May 1951, lot 1116; William Anton to E Pluribus Unum Collection, via Larry Stack.
