1786 New Jersey Copper. Maris 10-gg, W-4750. Rarity-7+. No Coulter. VG-10 (PCGS). 128.9 grains. 28.9 mm. 140° rotation. A classic rarity, discovered by Dr. Thomas Hall and named by Dr. Maris himself. Since its discovery more than 125 years ago, just three additional specimens have been recorded: the finest known, a PCGS VF-35 that brought $96,000 in our 2019 E Pluribus Unum sale; the 1987 Frederick Taylor coin, now in the Anton Collection; and this one, discovered on eBay in October 2006. The discovery coin traveled the usual route of a Dr. Hall coin, through the Ryder, Boyd, and Hall collections to our 2003 Ford sale. It is highly unusual for a variety discovered in 1895 to remain so rare, but the coppers struck from Maris obverse 10 are special. We know of four different marriages using that obverse die. The most common of them, Maris 10-G, is Rarity-6+. The rarest, Maris 10-oo, remains unique since its 1989 discovery. The other two are both Rarity-7, with this one being the rarer of the remaining two (Maris 10-h is the other). All four examples have some surface issues, but just the same, all four survivors are relatively decent looking for such a rare variety. This is ranked fourth of the four, but is an attractive coin, with light brown devices and legends contrasting with fields showing scattered but fairly even shallow dark scale. The centering is ideal on both sides, the marks are consistent with the level of wear, and no significant damage or distractions are present. This piece has a fascinating and circuitous history. While Syd got this piece off eBay, he was able to ascertain a good deal of its past provenance. The coin was among the inventory of New Orleans coin and antique dealer James Buchanan Pelletier (1857-1938) left upon his passing to his longtime employee Marie (Moliere) Cyrus (1908-2002), who began working in his Royal Street shop as a 12-year-old orphan. Cyrus continued the tradition, keeping her own antique shop in the French Quarter until an advanced age. On her passing, the shop inventory descended to her niece, who sold this piece on eBay. In the three year period from 2001 to 2003, half the population of this variety traded at auction. In the four year period from 2019 to 2022, half the population changed hands again, an odd conjunction considering not a single Maris 10-gg was sold at auction between its discovery in 1895 and the 1987 Taylor sale. This example has not crossed the auction block since its initial appearance on eBay. PCGS# 756000. From the Sydney F. Martin Collection. Earlier, from the inventory of James Buchanan Pelletier (1857-1938); by descent to Marie Helen Moliere Cyrus (1908-2002), 1938; by descent to Cyruss niece, 2002; acquired on eBay in October 2006, via Chris Young.
