1787 New Jersey copper. Maris 57-n. Rarity-6+. Camel Head. Double Struck. Fine-15 (PCGS).135.2 grains. This sale catalog may be the first time since the 1886 Maris sale that two examples of Maris 57-n have sold consecutively. Coincidentally, it is also the first auction appearance of this coin since that time, when this specimen was described as “Same variety, struck twice. See N.J. Plate, No. 57. This and the preceding are the only two of the variety, as far as I know.” As seen on the Maris plate, this is an eye-catching error, struck once with ideal centering and again roughly 50% off center. A second 87 of the date appears beneath a second plow just beneath the centered horsehead. The reverse shows a second arc of denticles above a second RIBUS, off-center to the lower left. The light brown devices contrast beautifully with the darker background, all glossy, smooth, and problem-free. The horizontal bisecting crack is visible near A of CAESAREA but is otherwise obscured.<p>While the fame of this piece comes principally from its appearance on the Maris plate, and from its unforgettable error, this actually ranks high among the known specimens of this variety. The SHI Condition Census includes six coins: the Dick August AU, Siboni’s EF- from perfect dies, a VF+ in the Anton Collection, the superior Maris-Garrett coin, the Partrick coin last sold in the 1998 C4 sale, and the one in the previous lot. This piece belongs on the next tier, not only because of its sharpness, but also its unusually nice surfaces. Its august provenance only adds to its desirability.From the E Pluribus Unum Collection of New Jersey Coppers. Earlier, Dr. Edward Maris Collection; H.P. Smith’s sale of the Dr. Edward Maris Collection, June 1886, lot 460; T. Harrison Garrett Collection; Johns Hopkins University to unknown intermediaries (Richard Picker?); William Anton Collection; E Pluribus Unum Collection, via Larry Stack.
