Description
1787
New Jersey Copper. Maris 72-z, a
“Plaited Mane” obverse type.
Rarity-5. Very Good/Good, the
surfaces evenly rough so a net Good grade seems appropriate. The obverse shows most of the legend and
date, NOVA weak but partially visible, the only letters completely lost being
the final two of CAESAREA. The
distinctly shaped horse’s head is fully outlined with some finer detail within,
suggesting the piece was a higher grade before it was dropped and spent time underground. The reverse didn’t fare quite as well, though
a few of the letters in the legend can be made out, and the shield is mostly
all outlined, with some stripes visible within.
While the surfaces are evenly rough, more so on the reverse, the color is
a lighter olive brown, which does help a bit.
A coin with no doubt about its attribution, the obverse quite distinct
and only known paired with this reverse die.
This variety was a Low Rarity-6 until relatively recently, the new
discoveries mostly in lower grades. It’s
a variety that is unknown truly choice – the Siboni Condition Census has a
single EF and the rest of the list made up of VF coins. The finest is the Garrett-Partrick coin,
which is listed as EF in the census, but was only graded high VF when offered in
the Partrick sale in March 2021 – a rare instance when the slab grade was the
more conservative. Regardless of
numerical grade, the number it brought at auction was an eye-opening
,400. The example in the “E Pluribus
Unum” collection was a weaker VF, overstruck on a 1775 Machin’s Mills halfpenny
and showing more legends of the undertype than of the New Jersey, and realized
a reasonable ,760. Always a popular –
and expensive! – variety. Indeed, you
have to go back exactly a decade to find an example of Maris 72-z offered at auction
that realized under four-figures. That
cost of entry is difficult for a newer collector, and while this example is far
from perfect, it offers what is likely the most affordable example of the
variety that one could ever hope to find today. This general type is pictured and listed in
the 2020 book on colonials edited by Q. David Bowers, the Whitman Encyclopedia
of Colonial and Early American Coins, lists this type as his W-5425 (page 190),
where the variety is priced at ,400 in VG and 0 in just Good, showing the
rarity of the variety in all grades. Winning bidder to add for
postage and insurance – ALL items we sell are sent via insured mail [or
Registered mail for items over 0]. California residents must add
appropriate sales tax. The pictures are of the actual coin being
offered, and have been enlarged in size to show the detail – and we have
included pictures in both color and black and white, of both sides of the coin,
as well as a combined photo showing both sides. This item has NOT
been graded or slabbed by one of the services, and we urge you to examine the
photos for yourself and from your own opinion as to grade; we have over 25
years’ experience as professional dealers in US colonial coinage – and another
15 years prior to that as collectors of the series as well. As
always, we offer a full, no-questions-asked return policy of 14 days after
receipt of the coin if it fails to meet your needs in ANY way – AND
WE OFFER ONE OF THE STRONGEST RETURN GUARANTEES ON E-BAY, though it has seldom
been used; please check out our Feedback Profile or e-mail any comments or
questions that you may have. Thank you again for your interest, and
if you have any questions, please feel free to ask.
