1786 New Jersey Copper. Maris 12-I, W-4795. Rarity-5. No Coulter, Shaggy Mane. EF-40 (PCGS). 149.9 grains. 29.0 mm. Reverse aligned about 20 degrees counterclockwise from medal turn. A truly exceptional No Coulter, sharp and attractive on both sides. The horsehead stands out in bold relief, with a far more detailed eye than usually encountered even at this grade level. The surfaces are an attractive shade of mahogany brown, with contrasting medium brown on the devices. The obverse is aligned right, with entire triangular denticles visible at left. The date is clear, crisp, and complete. Some minor verdigris is present among the denticles, and a trivial scrape is seen on the rim at 9:00. The reverse is aligned to 9:00, but shows denticles around nearly its full circumference. Some internal details are seen on the shield. The gloss is excellent, with frosty evidence of high technical grade, and many of the raised die finish lines are still visible in the fields.<p><p>This is Die State 1, with a crisp complete horsehead, and is ranked as the third finest of the variety by Siboni-Howes-Ish. The lovely E Pluribus Unum coin (PCGS VF-30 at $5,520) was less sharp at the base of the horsehead, a hallmark of the later die state. The exceptional Royse coin, despite grading VF-25 (PCGS), brought $11,750 on the strength of its strike; its ranked one place above this one at second finest known. The Ford-Partrick coin, NGC EF-45, is considered the finest known by a long shot; it brought $45,600 in the March 2021 Partrick sale. PCGS# 767872. From the Sydney F. Martin Collection. Earlier ex Virgil Brand Collection; New Netherlands Coin Company, October 1952; Harold Bareford; our (Stacks) sale of the Bareford Collection, May 1984, lot 107; our (Stacks) sale of the John Foreman Collection, May 1989, lot 1333; Anthony Terranova; our (Stacks) Americana sale, January 1998, lot 172; Lawrence R. Stack Collection, November 2006.
