1786 New Jersey copper. Maris 16-L. Rarity-2. Protruding tongue. AU-55 (PCGS).163.8 grains. Medium brown and steel with some areas of pale rose where the patina has thinned. Some verdigris is seen within and around the shield, and some darker toning is present left of the shield where verdigris is no longer seen. The details are exceptionally sharp on both sides save for a small area of typical weakness at the center of the shield. Both sides are aligned barely to the right. This is Die State 3, the usual die state, with a solid tongue break and a large round cud among the denticles above RE of CAESAREA. No significant marks are seen, just some light natural laminations beneath the snout. Some flecks of verdigris are seen around the obverse.<p>While this is a nice coin, the way this piece is graded in comparison to the previous illustrates some of the challenges with the standard numerical system that grading services apply to colonial coins. For those new to this field, it also explains why some coins of seemingly identical grades are an order of magnitude apart in terms of price.From the E Pluribus Unum Collection of New Jersey Coppers.
