1787 New Jersey copper. Maris 36-J. Rarity-6+. Outlined Shield. Fine Detail, Environmental Damage (PCGS).131.7 grains. A very distinctive and thoroughly challenging variety, known almost exclusively in low grade. Golden brown with the granular surfaces of a ground find, enriched with deep green earthen scale on the reverse. The obverse is ideally centered and actually pretty well detailed for the variety, with full date and legends, a bold plow, and a horsehead that is fully outlined everywhere but the tip of the snout. The reverse is less sharp, but the shield is pretty full and most of the legends are present. A scrape at the lower tip of the shield and a little rim nick above the first U of UNUM are the only notable contact points. The dies appear perfect, Die State 1, a rare die state.<p>The SHI Condition Census lists 10 of these. The best is the Ellsworth-Garrett coin in the Anton Collection, called EF+ and plated on page 323 of the Siboni, Howes, Ish book (though the caption erroneously calls the image that of the Ford coin). After that, the next seven are graded just Fine, and the bottom two are listed as VG- and G. The last two have both appeared in our sales in recent years: the VG was the Craige coin from our January 2013 sale, and the G was the Maris plate coin, sold in our March 2017 offering of the Dr. Gordon Shaw Collection for $16,450, a notable premium for its fine provenance. Interestingly, we’ve sold more examples of Maris 36-J in recent years than Maris 35-J, including the famed “Maris 82-hh” (actually a badly misstruck Maris 36-J). Of the seven we’ve sold since 2010, none were this sharp or this complete. Just where it fits in the census depends on how the positives of the detail and die state are weighed against the grounder surfaces. All things considered, this feels like it belongs in the top eight.From the E Pluribus Unum Collection of New Jersey Coppers.
