1652  Massachusetts Willow Tree Sixpence  Noe 1-A  Crosby-7  R6+  F12 but plugged.  35.0 grains.  All examples of Massachusetts Willow Tree coinage are classic rarities in the Colonial coin series.  They, along with the NE series that immediately preceded them, represent the first crude coinage struck in what later would become the United States of America.  Although clearly exhibiting both a design and technology advance over the minimalist New England Shillings and lesser pence denominations struck just before them, Willow Tree coins are among the first fruits of our nations early minting technology.  Quoting from Lou Jordan’s masterful; John Hull, The Mint and The Economics of Massachusetts Coinage:   The coins we designate as the Willow Tree series appear in many ways to be experimental.  The scarcity of the coins suggests they were only minted for a brief period.  They are rarer than the NE series and may have had a shorter production period.  The appearance of multiple striking that is prevalent on several of the few surviving examples of the Willow Tree series is probably due to inexperience in engraving and inexperience in controlling the reciprocating action of a rocker press.”  Many Willow Tree Shillings are notorious for their poor, uneven and often multiple strikings.  It is thought that the smaller denomination Willows followed the Shillings in production and apparently were somewhat less erratic. Both the NE and Willow Tree Massachusetts Silvers are excessively rare in comparison with the dramatically more plentiful output of Oak Tree and Pine Tree coins that the John Hull run Massachusetts Mint subsequently produced.  All Willow Tree Sixpences known were struck from this one pairing of dies.  In the range of 14 extant examples have currently been traced (though it is possible a few more survive) making this an extremely difficult major type coin to acquire.  This great rarity is the number 5 specimen on the Noe plate of Willow Tree sixpences, there attributed as the property of a “Mid-West Coin Firm”  When this coin was first plated 60 years ago only ten examples were know, and this one was holed.   Between then and now it has skillfully been plugged, that plug situated at 2:00 obverse/ 9:00 reverse.  Most of this coin shows details of at least Strong Fine, but typical for type slight waviness in the planchet contributed to uneven striking and wear with a few legend letters and the last date digit now faint as a result.  Quite attractive in overall appearance, with most of the willow tree sharp, and with surfaces that are a pleasing lilac-gray and steel toning.  The opportunity to own a Willow Tree Sixpence is rarer than the coin itself since not all are available for collecting.  To forestall any possible confusion in anyone who remembers that event, the also holed then new discovery Noe 1-A Sixpence that was sold in a March1996 B&M Rarities Sale has subsequently been donated to the National Numismatic Collection. The fortunate winner of this wonderful coin will truly have the chance to hold early America’s history in the palm of his or her hand, as this coin is now free of plastic entombment.  Ex Heritage 1/2007 F.U.N. Sale lot 700.

1652  Massachusetts Oak Tree Shilling  Noe-1  R3  VF35.  70.4 grains.  A sharp coin struck on an intriguingly crude planchet, even for this somewhat crude series.  At over 70 grains this is well within the standards for a full weight planchet, but this planchet clearly deviates from the standard circular shape for over almost half of its circumference.  Viewed from the obverse there is a moderately large semi circular clip at the top, plus a large jagged flaw jutting into the coin between 9:00 and 10:00 with a continuing planchet  crack reaching far into the branches, though most of it doesn’t penetrate through to the other side.  Meanwhile on the reverse the surface is laminating between L and A of ENGLAND, with the die strike taking at different levels of the surface where the lamination runs through.  Neat stuff.  This is where the imperfect ceases to manifest as an undesirable distraction and starts taking on some real charm.  Toned a deep but not dark warm gray, a touch lighter on the raised points.  A few scattered but very tiny and shallow tics are scattered on the reverse surface, of only minimal impact and concern.  All features well struck, attractive in it’s unique rugged way.

1652 Massachusetts Oak Tree Shilling. Noe 13. R6. VF25. 73.4 grains. Holed and plugged in a most unusual location, near 5:00 at I of IN, in such a spot that it is essentially invisible. This piece was offered with the hole in the 2002 Hain sale. Retoned a fairly attractive dark gray that closely resembles a nice original shade. Sharp and fairly pleasing, tree a trifle weak from the die state, called Noe 13.3 in Hain, a R7 subvariety. Though imperfect, this piece has a good naked eye look and a fine provenance: Ex Vlack Collection; Stack’s sale of the Hain Collection, January 2002, Lot 46.

1662  Massachusetts Oak Tree Twopence  Noe-30  R4  EF45.  11.4 grains.  Small Date Variety.  A very nice example of a very small coin.  Relatively well centered so that only less than a third of less than a third of the obverse legend only slips off the flan.  The reverse legend is full though tight at the top only.  Though Oak Twopences tend to crinkle like corn flakes, this one has smoother surfaces than most, meaning they are negligibly uneven and as a result almost all details remain bold (the A of ENGLAND is faint).  Problem free with pleasing light gray and silver toning.

1662 Massachusetts Oak Tree Twopence. Noe-30. R4. EF40. 10.8 grains. Light silver gray with some darker gray highlights. Very well detailed, though somewhat crinkled and wavy. The centering remains ideal and the legends are complete. The tree is still clear, as are the date and denomination. A desirable example of this vital Massachusetts type coin.

1652 Massachusetts Pine Tree Shilling. Noe-11. R4. (PCGS F15) F18. 68.05 grains. A pleasing example of this variety, the only Pine Tree with all Ns in the legend backwards and notable as the Redbook “No H in Massachusetts” variety. Nice light silver gray with some pleasing and delicate overtones of blue and gold. The tree is very sharp, though much of the obverse legend is off the closely trimmed but full weight planchet. The reverse is a bit better centered, with some die swelling on the right side leaving the 2 of the date ill-defined. This reverse, though not used on any Oak Tree shillings, has more in common with the Oaks than the Pines stylistically; it is possible that this distinctive variety was struck very early within the Pine Tree series.

 (1667-69) St Patrick Halfpenny. Breen-200. Vlack 1-A. EF45. 140.4 grains. An extraordinary specimen of the Large Letters obverse / Large Letters reverse variety and one of the nicest St. Pat’s halfpence we’ve offered in a C4 sale. Rich choice chocolate brown with ideal smooth surfaces and a bright golden splash, centered on the left half of the crown. The strike is bold, the centering is exact, and this piece is about as choice as could be hoped for. Free of defects. A great choice for a perfectionist type collector or a connoisseur.

(1667-69)  St Patrick Farthing  Breen-208  Griffee G1-4/0i  R7  VG10.  76.9 grains.  Late Die State.  Only 7 known of this Griffee variety, making it not uncommon.  The King’s side is fairly smooth and clear until you move over to the far right third where the legend no longer makes sense, too much substance having worn away.  On Patrick’s side the center no longer holds, as outlines there are poorly defined.  More strength at the periphery where the legends are full though it is somewhat rougher in the fields.  An acceptable mix of dark chocolate and lighter tones.

(1667-69) St Patrick Farthing. Breen-208. Griffee G1-4/2i. R6+. VF25. ZZZ grains. A very sharp specimen, perhaps EF or so, but with some roughness that is especially severe on the king and behind him on the obverse, while the reverse is much smoother. Some areas are smooth and glossy with rich dark chocolate brown surfaces, with contrasting tan highpoints and some green corrosion. The splash is subtle but present, at the bottom of the crown. The Griffee sale listed 11 known, with the finest as VF35.

(1667-69)  St Patrick Farthing  Breen-208  Obverse G1-4/2i with reverse of G1-4/1i  R8 VF35.  74.8 grains.  An apparently previously unknown marriage of known dies.  This is a much nicer coin than average for a discovery piece; high grade with full sharp details that make studying it easy.  Pleasing to boot, with contrasting deep and light tan toning. Very evenly struck with no obvious area of weakness, For the most part smooth and certainly glossy.   There is scattered fine pitting on the King side concentrated on the King, but also near the right and left rims, that appears to likely be pre striking in origin and which has little effect on this coin’s overall appeal.  A nice brass splasher centered exactly where it is supposed to be, and a reverse that is almost totally smooth and pleasing.  Leaving varieties aside for a moment, this coin would make a great type coin for the series.  Meanwhile, the long term attribution methodology for St. Patrick Farthings remains somewhat in flux.  The only published reference available for Griffee attributions is the M&G 2003 C4 Sale of his St. Patrick Farthings which was never intended to be the last word on the subject.  In the intervening years a number of errors in Griffee’s initial work have emerged; not surprising given the vast scope of the work John Griffee accomplished in a field that knew no boundaries.   Not to mention either (shhh) the odd misplaced plate photo the Griffee catalog contained; not surprising given the difficulty of keeping almost two hundred coins straight using a system then familiar to John Griffee only.

(1667-69)  St Patrick Farthing  Breen-208  Obverse G1-2/1b with new reverse  VF30.  92.9 grains.  Right on cue, here is another one.  It’s not that hard to find new ground to break out on the frontier. Here a known obverse with what seems to be a new reverse.  Nice detail and pleasing golden and chocolate toning on only moderately granular surfaces that are rather glossy.  Small splasher that sits right on top of the crown. 

(1667-69) St Patrick Farthing. Breen-208(?). AG3. 77.1 grains. There could be marlets, or sea beasts, or Nessie under the king on this piece, but we just can’t tell. Light brown with some fairly thorough roughness. The reverse is actually pretty sharp, Fine or better, with St Patrick pretty clear and some visible legends. The other side is not so much, but the king and splasher can be made out still.  And we leave it to you to attempt a further attribution.

(1667-69) St Patrick Farthing in Silver. Breen-210. Dies of G1-4/2a. EF45. 81.8 grains. An important piece, a die variety of silver strike that was not present in Norweb, Ford, or Griffee though it was present in copper in the last. Lovely light silver gray with some reflectivity remaining in the fields and attractive golden toning. A batch of vertical scratches runs up the right side of Saint Patrick but the piece is otherwise choice. The sharpness is excellent, the strike is well centered and bold. A highlight of the sale and an important property with a fine long provenance: Ex. Carnegie Museum of Natural History; Spink Auction 30, August 1983, Lot 245; Stack’s September 1988 sale, Lot 1239; Stack’s May 1989 sale, Lot 1175; Stack’s June 1997 sale, Lot 95, Spink’s sale of the Lucien LaRiviere Collection, February 2006, Lot 154. LaRiviere’s annotated envelope accompanies this lot.

(1667-69)  St Patrick Farthing  Breen-212  G31-5/3f  R7  F15.  96.4 grains.  6 examples traced of this obviously scarce variety, with this one somewhere in the middle of that pack.   Mostly even dark chocolate brown, the reverse reflective with light porosity, the obverse is rougher with pitting near the crown and scattered lesser pitting elsewhere.  The splasher here is bright and placed left of and below the King’s chin.  The obverse here is stronger than the Griffee F15, though rougher.

(1667-69)  St Patrick Farthing  Breen-213  G31-6/5e  R7  AG3.  83.9 grains.  There’s not much here but it’s nice.  This came to this cataloger attributed and who am I to doubt, but I’m not the one to confirm it either on a tight cataloging schedule.  Mostly dark chocolate brown dusted with microscopic porosity but actually appearing smooth if not slick.  The King and Saint are outlined, but not always clearly.  REX is clear on the obverse legend and a few other letters can additionally be read.  The splasher is toned over and there are no nicks scratches or the like to annoy the next owner.

(1667-1669) St. Patrick Farthing. Breen 212, Griffee 36-5/5a. Rarity-8. VG7. 78.7 grains. From Goldberg’s sale of February 2007, Lot 29, where it was described as “Type with what Breen calls "sea beasts" below king. Sharpness F12 or better but lightly corroded. No verdigris or marks. The brass splasher is mostly gone, only a few remnants remaining. Dark steel with lighter brown highpoints. The legends are mostly clear, although portions are not visible on both sides. Still, this piece has far more detail than the only other example known, that being the Griffee coin sold as lot #182 in the 2003 C-4 sale (where it realized $1980). Earlier die state than the Griffee coin. The die crack at LOREAT is present but not as strong. Far from perfect but still the finer of only 2 known.” A very rare and easily attributed piece despite its grade.

(1667-69)  St Patrick Farthing  Breen-213  G44-9/5b  R7+  F12.  95.6 grains.  Either four or five examples traced, it isn’t clear if this coin is one of the two fines that Griffee noted in his 4 coin census, but it appears from notes that it isn’t.  Medium and darker browns with a small but bright brass splash.  The obverse has moderate fairly even porosity, the reverse is slightly smoother.  The obverse is in the group of varieties with dwindling stars after REX.

(1667-69) St Patrick Farthing. Breen-217. G83-2/0a. R-7. Ammulet Martlet and Figure 8 Below King. VF-20. ZZZ grains. A very rare major variety in the St. Patrick series. The annulet, martlet, and figure 8 below the king are easily visible to the naked eye. The devices are tan, contrasting with the finely granular near-black fields. Not perfect, but fairly attractive and lacking serious corrosion or other problems that tend to befall St. Pats. A straight clip is noted over QVI and a small curved clip is present below the church. A well detailed and wholesome example of one of the most elusive Breen varieties, an important find for St. Patrick enthusiasts.

(1688)  Holt’s American Plantation Token  Newman 6-F (original)  Breen-77  EF40.   Actual detail of a strong EF, and overall quite pleasing, but with two hidden reverse pin scratches.  Neither of the dies used for this striking were ever reused for restrikes, making this an unquestionable original issue. Rather evenly toned a rich medium gray color with light silver outlining the King and horse, this coin completely escaped the scourge of tin pest. Though both sides are moderately granular, the surfaces are highly reflective and on whole quite appealing.  The detail exhibited on this coin would possibly qualify it for the condition census had some misguided soul not lightly added a now toned X scratch centered within and cloaked by the details of the reverse shield. Original plantation tokens are hard to locate and this example retains nice eye appeal.

1694 E French Colonies recoined sol of 15 deniers. Tours Mint. Breen-276. VG10. ZZZ grains. A difficult coin to grade, pretty much VF on one side and AG or so on the other. Pleasing antique gray with no damage or problems. The reverse is extremely bold with a nice clear E mintmark at center. The obverse is softened in the die, it appears, but the 1694 date is clear, as is some evidence of peripheral undertype. Breen noted the rarity of this date (“price for 1693A or 1695A, others much rarer”), an observation that has mostly held up over time. An interesting and important early North American coinage.

1710-AA French Colonies 30 Deniers. Metz Mint. Vlack-8. R2. EF40. ZZZ grains. The Vlack Plate Coin. Lots of silvery luster remains around deeper gray devices. Excellent eye appeal and surface quality, with a spot between the addorsed Ls on the obverse. Some faint planchet striations are seen in areas under magnification. A handsome high grade type coin. Ex. Vlack Collection, Stack’s, January 2008, Lot 5035.

1713-D  French Colonies 30 Deniers  Lyon Mint Vlack-6a  R2  F12.  32.6 grains.  Possibly Double Struck, some times there are those signs, some times it only seems rough, the customer is always right, let the free market do its job here.  There are many details here, but all of them are rough.

1738-A French Colonies Sou Marque. Paris Mint. Vlack-16. R1. VF20. ZZZ grains. Pretty antique gray with the surviving peripheral lustre now toned down to pleasing gold. Some little planchet flaws at center, but no serious problems. Ex. Brand Collection in 1967 to John Ford, Ex. Ford part XIII, January 2006, Lot 115. Though many six-figure coins boast Brand-Ford pedigrees, we suspect not too many coins in this price range have a similarly impressive provenance.

1738-& French Colonies Sou Marque. Aix Mint. Vlack-231. R8. F18. ZZZ grains. A great rarity in the sou marque series, one of just five issues of this type from the Aix Mint. Any Aix sou marque is rare, though the 1739 is encountered occasionally. Ford lacked this premier issue from this mint near Marseille. Glossy gray with even and inoffensive granularity. The detail is very strong for the assigned grade. The anchor different and mintmark are both plain. A rarity that just happens to be pleasing as well. Ex. Vlack Collection, Stack’s, January 2008, Lot 5075.

1739 A French Colonies Sou Marque. Paris Mint. EF40. ZZZ grains. Mottled olive gray with sharp devices. Some faint vestiges of silvering are left around the crossed Ls.

1739-A  French Colonies Sou Marque  Paris Mint Vlack-17b  R6  EF40.  25.7 grains.  Not much conventional wear on this coin as evidenced by the areas that retain flash and luster, which accounts for about 30% of the surfaces.  Elsewhere more of a dull silver gray with extremely fine granularity.  One area of weak strike makes the last two digits of the date weak but still legible.

1739-C  French Colonies Sou Marque  Caen Mint  Vlack-56  R3  G5.  27.5 grains.  The only thing lacking here are details, particularly on the non date side which falls short of this grade. Clear strong date and mint mark though, some striae and gloss on surfaces that retain a silvery look despite significant wear.

1739-P  French Colonies Sou Marque  Dijon Mint  Vlack-163  R4  MS60.  31.4 grains. This is a pretty coin with ample flash and luster pleasingly offset by glossy light gray toning mostly concentrated near the centers.  It would fit nicely in any collection and it legitimately is uncirculated.  Ex. Vlack Collection, Stack’s, January 2008, Lot 5110.

1739-R  French Colonies Sou Marque  Orleans Mint  Vlack-175a  R7  MS60.  33.7 grains.  An attractive example of a rare sub variety of this date mint combination.  Sharp details free of all but the slightest hint of rub, hence the grade assigned.  Both sides still show ample silver luster which has begun to turn to a pleasing glossy gray over half of the surfaces.  Planchet thins slightly at the base of the obverse with slight roughness there, and there is some spots of darker toning in the fields.  The reverse is uncomplicated, just pretty.  Ex. Vlack Collection, Stack’s, January 2008, Lot 5115.

1740-G French Colonies Sou Marque. Poitiers Mint. Vlack 97. R7. EF40. ZZZ grains. Lustrous light silver gray with some coppery highlights on high points of the design. Good eye appeal and excellent detail, some minor hairlines. A tiny proturberance from 3:00 on the obverse rim is as struck. A lovely example of this rare issue. Any sou marquee from Poitiers is scarce; this date is especially challenging. Ex. Vlack Collection, Stack’s, January 2008, Lot 5166.

1741-W  French Colonies Sou Marque  Lille Mint Vlack-202  R7  MS62.  29.2 grains.  Yet another very attractive and very rare coin, one of three variants for this year and mint combo.  A great deal of lustrous silver mixes with lighter grays becoming slightly darker near the rims at points.  A few legend letters and the last numeral of the date weaken slightly toward their tops as made, but everything is fully present and most of it is sharp.  Ex. Vlack Collection, Stack’s, January 2008, Lot 5220.

1741-BB French Colonies Sou Marque. Strasbourg Mint. Vlack-252. R7. EF45. ZZZ grains. Handsome golden gray with abundant silvery lustre remaining around devices. A little granular under a glass but glossy and attractive overall. While some issues from Strasbourg are common (like the 1762 BB, struck after the whole of French North America had been lost), this one is not. A very pleasing coin. Ex. Vlack Collection, Stack’s, January 2008, Lot 5226.

1742-A  French Colonies Sou Marque Paris Mint. Vlack-21  R2  AU58.  30.6 grains. Sou Marquees are much more appealing when they are high end, aren’t they? Of course that can be said for most coins, but these in particular come alive when they have luster.  And this has that.  There is slight thinning of the planchet along the right rim on both sides causing minimal loss of some sharpness and luster in that narrow band.  A nice Type Coin.  Ex. Vlack Collection, Stack’s, January 2008, Lot 5236.

1743-A French Colonies Sou Marque. Paris Mint. Vlack-22a. R1. AU55. ZZZ grains. Technically very close to Mint State, but recovered from the 1744 wreck of the St. Geran, sunk off the coast of Mauritius and salvaged beginning in 1977. Light silver gray with mattelike surfaces that retain excellent detail. This provenance is interesting and desirable, indeed, the St. Geran was a cause célèbre in France after it sunk and even inspired a famous novel (Paul et Virginie) in 1788. A neat addition to any French Colonies collection. Ex. Vlack Collection, Stack’s, January 2008, Lot 5261.

1745-W  French Colonies Sou Marque Lille Mint. Vlack-206  R6  AU53.  34.6 grains. A very pleasing problem free coin, and a scarce date mint combo, that was mysteriously graded VF at the Vlack collection Sale.  It isn’t, this coin retains ample traces of original luster.   Ex. Vlack Collection, Stack’s, January 2008, Lot 5294.

1746-A French Colonies Sou Marque. Paris Mint. Vlack-25. R7. EF40. ZZZ grains. Mottled deep gray with some silvery lustre remaining. Sharp and appealing despite some minor granularity, rim a bit jagged over NA of NAV. An unusually rare issue of the Paris Mint, lacking from most collections.  It’s not just a rare mint variant, it’s old fashioned rare.  Ex. Vlack Collection, Stack’s, January 2008, Lot 5297.

1746-E  French Colonies Sou Marque Tours Mint. Vlack-84  R5  AU50.  31.6 grains.  A high end attractive coin that reveals it’s inner copper nature while projecting silver strength. Flawless glossy surfaces, the reverse more so than the obverse showing nicely toned copper as well as undisturbed silvering that seems as if it was simply thinly applied  at points. Ex. Vlack Collection, Stack’s, January 2008, Lot 5300.

1747-C French Colonies Sou Marque. Caean Mint. Vlack-64. R8. VF30. ZZZ grains. Silvery vestiges of luster blend with copper and olive tones to pleasing effect. Quite attractive but for a batch of criss-cross scratches on the crowned L on the reverse. A significant rarity within the series. Ex. Vlack Collection, Stack’s, January 2008, Lot 5306.

1749-E French Colonies Sou Marque. Tours Mint. Vlack-87. R8. VF25. ZZZ grains. Abundant faded silvery lustre persists on deep gray surfaces around the coppery devices. Good gloss and eye appeal, though a short heavy scratch is noted under UM of BENEDICTUM. Still, this would be tough to duplicate or improve upon. Ex. Vlack Collection, Stack’s, January 2008, Lot 5320.

1751-C French Colonies Sou Marque. Caen Mint. Vlack-68. R7. VF35. ZZZ grains. Attractive rose and gray surfaces show good gloss and lots of silvery lustre around the design elements. Obverse die a bit swollen in the field. Very attractive, particularly so for such an elusive issue. Ex. Vlack Collection, Stack’s, January 2008, Lot 5332.

1751-BB French Colonies Sou Marque. “Strasbourg” Mint. Contemporary Counterfeit. Vlack-369. R1. AU50. ZZZ grains. Struck in copper. The Vlack plate coin. Beautiful glossy lustre across nice light brown surfaces. Only trivial marks, with a tiny rim cut over first N of NOMEN likely a test cut from someone uncertain if this was copper or billon at the time. The dies are fairly competent, though crudely finished and showing many fine die lines under a glass. One of the more commonly encountered of the circulating counterfeits, though in unusually fine condition and with the added benefit of a fine provenance. Ex. Vlack Collection, Stack’s, January 2008, Lot 5335.

1755-A French Colonies Sou Marque. Paris Mint. Vlack-35b. R7. EF40. ZZZ grains. Nice glossy deep gray with coppery undertones and traces of lighter silver color at peripheries. Unusual insofar as the overwhelming majority of 1755-A sou marques are contemporary counterfeits, but this one was actually struck at the Paris Mint. Further, this variety (no stop after XV) is quite rare even among the genuine pieces. Nice eye appeal and a good pedigree too. Ex. Vlack Collection, Stack’s, January 2008, Lot 5347.

1755/4  French Colonies Sou Marque Paris Mint. Vlack-35d  R7  MS60.  Vlack Plate Coin.  35.5 grains.  Overdate 5 over 4.  What could be better than a lovely lustrous uncirculated coin with an important provenance?  A lovely lustrous uncirculated coin that is a plate coin for the new key reference book for its series. 

1756-A  French Colonies Sou Marque  Vlack-36a  R6  AU58.  34.1 grains.  Just a light touch away from full Unc with full Unc quality,  with bright luster and unbroken gloss failing only adjacent to the rims where the slope of the planchet starts coming into play. Problem free and pleasing.  Ex. Vlack Collection, Stack’s, January 2008, Lot 5356.

1757-A  French Colonies Sou Marque  Paris Mint. Vlack-37a  R2  AU58.  Double Struck.  30.5 grains.  An attractive and fun coin, because face it, attractive double struck coins are always fun.  The double strike here isn’t wildly dramatic, but it is clear, showing up at least somewhat in every letter and device.  Problem free glossy silver surfaces with plenty of flash left in them and just some faint dark speckling.  This is a good lot to use to note that within the overall excellent cataloging of the sale of Vlack’s  collection last January were a number of lots where the grading was off the charts conservative, and this coin was one of them having been there described as merely “Very Fine”. Ex. Vlack Collection, Stack’s, January 2008, Lot 5361.

1762-BB French Colonies Sou Marque. Strasbourg Mint. Vlack-276. R1. AU58. ZZZ grains. Bright silver gray with nearly intact lustre A good looking type coin, with only some minor natural planchet striations in the northwest reverse and a very minor scratch at the bottom of the obverse to note. Good color and detail, though struck from fatigued dies. Ex. Vlack Collection, Stack’s, January 2008, Lot 5390.

1764-A French Colonies Sou Marque. Paris Mint. Vlack-48a. R1. AU58. ZZZ grains. Bright lustre surrounds devices and glows from the silver gray surfaces with an attractive result. Some very faint granularity under a glass. Second semester strike. A beautiful specimen from the end of this expansive series. Ex. Vlack Collection, Stack’s, January 2008, Lot 5398.

(1738-56)-A  French Colonies Sou Marque  Reverse Brockage  Paris Mint. EF45.  28.6 grains.  A full clear and high grade brockage with a pleasing regular strike on the other side.  How cool is that?  Admittedly a subjective question but one to which most collectors would answer; “very cool”.  Objectively it can be said that this is an extremely rare error, for this or virtually any series, but especially for any government sanctioned mint product which this coin certainly was.  Type of Vlack 16.  The minter’s fox different however dates it within the 1738-56 range.  Very glossy, also very finely granular surfaces but otherwise problem free, aside for some areas of darker toning on otherwise pale grayish brown surfaces.  Ex. Vlack Collection, Stack’s, January 2008, Lot 5058.

1713-AA  French Colonies Demi-Mousquetaire (15 Deniers) Vlack-14b  R2  F12.  14.6 grains.   Details stronger than this grade but on a very grainy planchet with some dark scaling on the obverse.  A scarcer denomination in the French colonial series.

1720-A  French Colonies  1/3 Ecu  MS62.  John Law Related.  These silver pieces were issued by the French government at a time when mints were under the overall authority of John Law, hence the direct association with the man who became notorious for his failed “Mississippi Bubble” finance scheme.  As such these have long been included in numerous fine colonial coin collections, such as John Ford’s.    The obverse shows some delightful blue and rose toning tinges near the rim, while the reverse has a small area where tiny specs of old dark green verdigris sit on otherwise attractive surfaces. 124.9 grains.  Ex John J. Ford, Stack’s 1/16/06:342.  Previously from Stack’s 12/9/91:831.

1724-H Louis d’Or. La Rochelle Mint. Le Chameau, sunk 1725 off Nova Scotia. Breen-255. AU50. ZZZ grains. Even lustrous yellow gold retains good lustre though the surfaces are a bit matte, belying its watery past. Superb sharpness, essentially Mint State, and no significant flaws. John Ford, who acted as a consultant on the original salvage of the Chameau, was able to hand select a full set for his collection from the original find, thus marking this as a bit nicer than many of the similar pieces from the treasure. As the only collectible gold coins listed as colonials in Breen’s Encyclopedia (aside from Brasher doubloons, the Immune Columbia struck over a guinea in the Smithsonian, and the unique Washington Hancock pattern in Eric Newman’s collection), the louis d’ors from Le Chameau hold a special place in early American numismatics, to say nothing of the historic nature of the ship and its salvage. These have become quite scarce in the marketplace. Ex. John J. Ford, Jr. Collection, Part XIII, Stack’s, January 2006, Lot 428.

Pair of French Colonies Billon pieces, both G4.  One is a 1740 dated Sou Marque and the other is a recoined sol (1692-1705) with no date.  Lot of 2 coins.

1767-A French Colonies Sou. RF counterstamp (1793). Breen-701. EF40. 189.4 grains. Nice chocolate brown with lighter devices and excellent eye appeal. The reverse is boldly glossy, the obverse is also quite glossy but shows a bit of harmless old buildup in the interstices. Well above average in terms of both sharpness and eye appeal for this issue.

1589 French Silver  VG10.  Double Struck.  139.9 grains.  A pleasing lower grade old large silver coin without major  problems.  Not being versed in 16^th century French coinage I think I’ll leave it at that, knowing full well that many fellow club members will be able to tell both you and me all about it if asked, and in my case even if not.

1722-K  French Half Sol  F12.  78.0 grains.  Grainy chocolate brown surfaces with copper red showing through at points.  Coins of this type struck in 1719 and 1720 are considered John Law Coppers, though this year mint mark combination is scarcer than those.

1789-A  French Billon 2 Sous for Colonie de Cayenne  EF40.  26.8 grains. Just slightly out of traditional U.S. Colonial bounds since these weren’t around to circulate in literal Colonial times, nor were they ever meant for Canada.  But it comes close, it’s old and pretty and just plain fun to collect so why not?  Glossy and problem free with much original silvering.

1777  France Prepares to Aid America Medal – Silver - Betts 558  AU55.    114.1 grains.  28.8 mm.  Reeded edge.  Bust of Louis XVI on the obverse, reverse a vignette featuring male and female figures representing  the Goddess of Peace and Mars, the God of war  with the  motto: Pacem Arma Tuentur; translated as “Arms preserve peace”.  Problem free with natural toning.

1751  Franco American Jeton in Copper,  Indian without Alligator type, VF20.  105.2 grains.  Plain edge.  Obverse bust of Louis XV, reverse vignette as noted. Generally smooth with a slightly mottled mix of lighter and dark brown toning.  Small toned group of pin scratches left of King on obverse.  Major types of these Jetons are included in Betts but a more detailed listing of this series is “The Franco American Jetons” by Ed Frossard.

1723  Rosa Americana Twopence  Crowned Rose type in Bath Metal  Breen-92  MS63.  191.2 grains.  Needle sharp details on a highly glossy and only slightly granular planchet, which qualifies as rather smooth for this series.  Toned medium to deep olive brown with some muted brighter golden Bathe medal color remaining in a few swaths mostly in the fields toward the centers.  Free of any marks save the most trivial of partial rim tics. Reverse slightly misaligned to K-6.  Ex John J. Ford, Stack’s 5/10/05:146.

1723  Rosa Americana Twopence  Crowned Rose type in Bath Metal  Breen-92  F18.  224.4 grains.  Relatively smooth and semi matte like surfaces. Predominantly olive toning with golden highlighting/outlining around much of the legends and devices.  Nicely free of marks for a coin of this grade. Strongly double punched A in MAG.  Ex B & M 3/15/2001:2162.

1723 Rosa Americana Twopence. Crowned Rose type. Breen-92. VG8. 226.2 grains. Appealing even chocolate brown with lightly bubbled surfaces. Still pretty glossy and attractive, a better than decent example for the grade.

1722  Rosa Americana Penny  UTILE DULCI  Breen-115  EF45.  132.4 grains.  A sharp coin with detail of at least this grade.  Some scattered patches of microscopic porosity dull the surfaces somewhat but do not make them rough.  Medium golden olive with some brighter bath metal tinges.  There’s a small rim void flaw at 10:30 obverse, but more interesting is the ring of excess planchet extending beyond the dentils that shows on the obverse from 2:00 to 6:30. Free of surface marks of any sort.

1722  Rosa Americana Penny  UTILE DULCI  Breen-115  [PCGS VF20] F18.  Dark olive toning predominates but toning shifts to a lighter brown at the high points.  Smooth and perhaps slightly matte like surfaces, it’s hard to tell definitively through the plastic.  Evenly struck will all features clear and present.

1722  Rosa Americana Penny  UTILE DULCI  Breen-115  AG3.  95.4 grains.  Some details clearly stronger but with significant pitting , a bent planchet, and an obverse linear gouge.  Dark olive brown; a clear date and almost full legends.

1723 Rosa Americana Penny. Crowned Rose type. Breen-121. Jumbo planchet. VF30. 177.5 grains, substantially greater than normal. A fascinating and unusual piece on an oversize planchet, showing significant unstruck area outside the denticles from 1:00 to 7:00 on the obverse and even more on the reverse from 9:00 to 4:00. This piece is likewise thicker than a standard penny, not just broader. Glossy dark brown with a horizontal band of corrosion across the central obverse. The reverse shows some light scratches on either side of the device that blend in pretty well. Unlike any Rosa penny we’ve encountered before, a very neat piece.

1723  Rosa Americana Penny  Crowned Rose type  Breen-122  VF25.  119.2 grains.  Or perhaps stronger based on details, but the surfaces are uneven, gently bent and dented with scattered areas of porosity.  Mottled very dark and medium chocolate brown.

1722  Rosa Americana Halfpenny  Breen-134  VF35.  69.8 grains.  Rather glossy and problem free surfaces.  Evenly dark olive and well centered and struck.  Just a sweet little coin.

1722  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny with Harp Left  Martin 3.1-Bb.3  R5  VF20.  107.7 grains.  Ex B & M 11/11/99:10.

1722  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny with Harp Right  Martin M3.3-C.1 R5  AU50.  Though extremely sharp this coin is also granular across both sides.  In terms of wear though, the grade assigned here is very conservative as there is virtually no indication of it having seen actual circulation.  Predominately toned a deep golden brown, there are no marks to distract aside from it’s overall roughened look.   Still appealing though for its crisp details.  1722 Harp Right Woods Hibernia Halfpennies are actually scarcer than the 1722 Harp Left Type, something that slips many collectors attention because this reverse                                      layout is also used on both the extremely common 1723 and scarcer 1724 standard issues.

1722  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny with Harp Right  Martin 3.3-C.1  R5  VF30.  105.8 grains.  Late die state.  Ex B & R Fairfield 10/6/77:1876.

1722  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny with Harp Right  Martin M3.7-C.2  R5  VF30.  110.1 grains.

1722  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny with Harp Left  Martin M4.4-Be.1  R5  MS60+.  Martin Plate Coin.  125.5 grains.  Late die state.  The obverse is plated in the Martin book.  Far superior to the Martin plate coin for the reverse.

1722  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny with Harp Right  Martin M4.98-C.6  R6  VF20.  107.0 grains.  The obverse of this piece is superior to the Martin plate coin.

1722  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny with Harp Right  Martin M5.2-C.2  R5  VG7.  106.9 grains.  Late die state.

1723/2  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny  Martin M4.60-Da.1  R2  VF20.  Overdate 3 over 2.  109.9 grains.  Ex B & M 11/11/99:10.

1723  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny  Martin M4.5-Fa.4  R4  EF40.  117.1 grains.  Late die state.  Superior to the Martin plate coin.

1723  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny  Martin M4.15-Gc.37a  R2  VF20.  113.4 grains.  Choice.

1723  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny  Martin M4.16-Gc.3  R2  VF20.  118.7 grains.  MDS.

1723  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny  Martin M4.16-Gc.3  R2  VF20.  133.0 grains.

1723  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny  Martin M4.39-Gc.8  R5  VF30.  111.2 grains.  Late die state.

1723  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny  Martin M4.44-Fa.5  R4  VF25.  118.4 grains.  M-LDS.  Ex Stack’s 12/99:1329.

1723/3  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny  Martin M4.45-Fa.2  R5  VF30.  Repunched 3.  119.2 grains.  M-LDS.  Removed from a PCGS slab graded VF35 (PCGS label included).

1723  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny  Martin M4.48-Gb.4  R4  VF35.  120.1 grains.  E-MDS.

1723  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny  Martin 4.49-Gb4  R6  EF40.  129.7 grains.  A nice example of this uncommon sub variety.  Surfaces show a subtle mix of medium browns with slightly varying tints. Nicely reflective and only lightly granular.  Free of marks.

1723  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny  Martin M4.52-Gb.8  R4  VF30.  105.3 grains.  MDS.

1723  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny  Martin M4.54-Ha.2  R3  VF30.  113.2 grains.  MDS.

1723  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny  Martin M4.57-Fa.2  R3  EF40.  119.6 grains.  Clipped Planchet.  LDS.  Reverse misaligned to K-7.  Ex B & M 3/23/2000:6.

1723  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny  Martin M4.59-Gc.4  R3  VF25.  101.9 grains.  Choice.  Late die state.

1723  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny  Martin M4.59-Gc.4  R4  VF35.  113.0 grains.  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

1723/2  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny  Martin M4.60-Da.1  R2  VF35.  Bold Overdate 3 over 2.  105.0 grains.  Choice.  EDS.

1723  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny  Martin M4.61-Ha.1  R4  VF25.  114.8 grains.  MDS.

1723  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny  Martin M4.74-Gb.9  R5  VF30.  113.9 grains.  Late die state.

1723  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny  Martin M4.82-Gc.14  R4  VF30.  Beaded Cincture.  123.0 grains.  EDS.

1723  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny  Martin M4.93-Gc.21  R5  EF40.  112.7 grains.  Late die state.

1723  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny  Martin M4.96-Gc.39  R5  VF30.  Beaded Cincture.  115.4 grains.  Choice.  LDS.

1724  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny  Martin M4.30-K.1  R2  F15.  122.1 grains.  M-LDS.

1724  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny  Martin 4.67-K.2  R5  VF25.  109.0 grains.  Very late die state, later than shown in the Martin book.  Ex Whyte’s auction 3/29/2000:365.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           1724  Fantasy Wood’s Hibernia cast copy.  Reverse style of 1722 with 1724 date.  EF45.  100.6 grains.

1723  Wood’s Hibernia Farthing  D:G :REX pattern  Martin M1.1-Bc.1  R5  MS62.  A choice example of this scarcer major type coin in this series. A warm chocolate brown with surfaces that are smooth (though just shy of hard) and glossy.  Problem free, with minor imperfections in the planchet showing as faint lines where the unevenness of the surface level manifests.  A very pleasing coin.

1723  Wood’s Hibernia Farthing  D:G :REX pattern  Martin M1.1-Bc.1  R5  AU55.  60.4 grains.  M&G 11/05 C4 Sale Lot 96 ticket included.

1723  Wood’s Hibernia Farthing  D:G :REX pattern  Martin M1.1-Bc.1  R5  MS60.  A sharp piece with ample tinges of mint red on the reverse around the lettering and devices.  That side has toned down to a nice medium brown in most places, with a darker splotch at the base of the harp, and another small one at the rim by 3:00.  The obverse however is much more mottled, with medium brown alternating with dark splotches and just faint tinges of mint color at the top of the head.  Ex John J. Ford VII Collection Stacks 1/2005 lot 47 ticket not included.

1723  Wood’s Hibernia Farthing  Martin 2.1-Bc4  R4  MS63.   A lovely example of the 1723 standard issue Hibernia Farthing fully deserving of at least this grade. Hard glossy warm brown surfaces naturally mellowed from original mint color with ample hints of that color still visible, primarily at the upper left obverse.  Dentils on both sides are nearly full and sharply impressed.  Problem free, a superb type coin.

1723  Wood’s Hibernia Farthing  Martin 2.1-Bc4  R4  MS62.   Another pretty example, this toned an even warm brown except along a line of demarcation on the upper reverse where a planchet imperfection literally alters the plane of the surface, with the surface below that seemingly lower and not as hard as it is below.  Still glossy and attractive, this coin is also technically interesting.

1724  Wood’s Hibernia Farthing  Martin 3.9-D.1  R4  EF40.   An extremely elusive type coin; 1724 Hibernia Farthings are about 20 times scarcer than 1723 Hibernia Farthings and rarely found in upper grades.  This is a pleasing example, overall smooth and nicely reflective with small areas on the reverse, most notably around Hibernia’s foot, just slightly duller in appearance.  No marks of any note, a nice example of this scarce major type.

1747 English coin weight for Brazilian 12,800 reis gold coin. Copper. By Kirk. VG10. ZZZ grains. LONDON visible on edge, though other inscription was likely visible at some point. A very thick coin weight, imitating the obverse of the Brazilian “double Joe” with the denomination THREE POUNDS TWELVE on the reverse. Kirk was a leading maker of English coin weights in the 18^th century. A neat go-with that could have been used in early America.

1760  Voce Populi Farthing - Large Letters -  Nelson-1  R5  VF25.  59.5 grains.  A really nice circulated example of this scarce smaller denomination Voce Populi, a key type coin in the series.  Quite smooth and glossy warm chocolate brown surfaces with minimal marks, aside from some natural striae.  Standard die clashing found at the top of the obverse bust.    Far nicer than the example we offered in last year’s C4 Sale.  From the Frealon Bibbins Collection.

1760  Voce Populi Halfpenny  Nelson-1  R6  VF30.  111.3 grains.  The “Boyish Head” or “Youthful Bust” type.  A key coin in the Voce Populi series, both distinctive and rare.  Pleasing medium olive brown surfaces, both smooth and glossy.  A few light surface marks, including two small hidden voids, one at the base of U in POPULI and the other at the forward tip of the bust, but none are distracting.  An unusually nice example of an unusually difficult variety to acquire.  From the Frealon Bibbins Collection.

1760  Voce Populi Halfpenny  Nelson-2  R3  F15.  91.3 grains.  A variety always found flatly struck.  This is a pleasing example with smooth glossy light chocolate brown surfaces.  Problem free other than a few extremely fine toned scratches near the centers that do not distract.

1760  Voce Populi Halfpenny  Nelson-2  R3  VF20.  101.3 grains.  Late die state.  Details on this coin are more clearly outlined than the above lot but otherwise the details are similar, mainly because they never are strong with this variety, regardless of the grade.  Pleasing medium brown toning.  The surfaces, while reflective, are naturally somewhat rough, with some porosity native to the planchet and raw planchet surfaces left at the centers as struck.  From the Frealon Bibbins Collection.

1760  Voce Populi Halfpenny  Nelson-2  R3  VF20.  Actually stronger than the assigned grade but damaged.  Medium to light chocolate brown somewhat reflective surfaces, but there are a few indentations on the reverse that bulge out slightly on the obverse.

1760 Voce Populi halfpenny. Nelson-3. R1. VOOE. VF25. ZZZ grains. Lovely glossy light brown. The obverse is glossy and choice for the grade. The reverse, as typical, is a bit softer but remains complete and shows a bold date. Some very minor planchet irregularity is noted on the right side of the reverse. A handsome specimen of this variety or a good type coin.

1760  Voce Populi Halfpenny  Nelson-3  R3  VF25.  104.2 grains.  Attractive deep honey brown and glossy surfaces that are problem free except for two dull toned shallow scratches on the head of the obverse bust.   A lovely coin for this type.  From the Frealon Bibbins collection.

1760  Voce Populi Halfpenny  Nelson-4  R3  VF35.  115.0 grains.  A pleasing example sharply struck. Light chocolate brown with mahogany tints on the obverse, the reverse with dark brown toning shadowing the devices.  Smooth and nicely reflective, one small dig at the front base of the B in HIBERNIA is the only mark worth noting.

1760  Voce Populi Halfpenny  Nelson-4  R3  VF20.  109.1 grains.  Sharpness near mint state but quite porous, cleaned and now retoned to a natural enough looking medium brown, but some copper red peaks through at points.  One of two examples in the Bibbins collection, this isn’t the one he kept for its surfaces..  From the Frealon Bibbins collection.

1760  Voce Populi Halfpenny  Nelson-4  R3  VF25.  116.3 grains.  Late die state.  This is the coin Bud (Frealon) kept for its surfaces, though he may have kept it for its die state also, with the obverse legend here crumbling at POPULI.  Lovely smooth medium brown surfaces, in a word choice.  From the Frealon Bibbins collection.

1760  Voce Populi Halfpenny  Nelson-4  R3  VF30.   Medium brown with even fine porosity on both sides.  Struck off center on both  sides, but only on the reverse does it effect the legends, leaving most of NIA off the planchet. 

1760  Voce Populi Halfpenny  Nelson-6  R5  F12.  LDS.  Some detail of a higher grade, flatly struck as typical.  Struck off center to the left on each side, somewhat dramatically so, with a broad ring of excess planchet showing at the right of each side, extending beyond the dentils.  Free of damage but rough at centers as made.  Reflective, with pleasing chocolate brown toning.

1760  Voce Populi Halfpenny  Nelson-6  R5  F12.  Technically stronger but details are softened by a thin haze of fine porosity.  Mottled light chocolate brown and olive green toning.

1760  Voce Populi Halfpenny  Nelson-6  R5  VG10.  99.5 grains.  LDS.  Although most graders would call this coin Fine, we’ll retain the Bibbins assigned grade written on the envelope this coin came in…  with some ambivalence.  The reverse is at least F12 if not F15, and this coin is overall quite pleasing, other than a few rim bruises, but a couple of those are  definitely notable, in specific at 1:00 and 7:00.  Glossy and attractive chocolate brown surfaces, a few trivial hairlines  on the reverse don’t change that.  From the Frealon Bibbins collection.   From the Frealon Bibbins collection.

1760  Voce Populi Halfpenny  Nelson-7  R5+  VF25.  109.0 grains.  A very attractive example of this scarce variety which until several years ago was still being cataloged as low rarity 7.   Subtly and pleasantly contrasting medium and lighter chocolate toning on glossy surfaces that are just finely textured.  Strong evidence of die clashing near the lower left reverse rim.   From the Frealon Bibbins collection.

1760  Voce Populi Halfpenny  Nelson-7  R5+  VG7.  112.9 grains.  Dark brown with some lighter highlights.  For the most part lightly porous but there are also areas on both sides of concentrated microscopic porosity.  Struck off center, contributing to an interesting reverse with some details being lost at the top along with two die cutter arcs impressed near the lower rim. 

1760  Voce Populi Halfpenny  Nelson-8  R6+  VF25.   The McGrath specimen. Slightly sharper than assigned grade with microscopic roughness under a mostly glossy dark olive and steel patina, the highpoints a slightly lighter shade of steel brown.  No marks or verdigris.  The obverse is nicely centered while the reverse is slightly misaligned to the top leaving the tops of ERNI off the planchet.  A perfectly acceptable example of an extremely rare variety.  See lot #42 in M&G’s  11/04 C4 Sale for another recently auctioned and correctly attributed example of Nelson 8, and lot #40 from our 11/2000 C4 Sale for an EF example.  The true rarity of Nelson 8 is not fully appreciated due to problems with attribution.  Confusion exists distinguishing Nelson 8 (or Zelinka 3-C) from the more common Nelson 15 (or Zelinka 3-A) with which it shares a common obverse. Taylor, which contained the Zelinka collection of Voce Populi’s, has the two varieties correctly identified and plated, but the Norweb catalog N.8 is actually a N.15 as were the Ford coins also, and numismatists who use those catalogs for references continue to repeat that misattribution, making Nelson 8 appear far more plentiful than it actually is.  The reverse dies are nearly identical.  A good indicator is the N of HIBERNIA, which is noticeably broader on N.8.  Also the bottom ornament on the harp differs.  On N.15 it is a basic circle, on the N.8 there is a small cluster.  The drapery on the shoulder of the outstretched arm differs as well.  On Nelson 8, as is the case here, the outline of that drapery forms a gentle crescent while on Nelson 15 it is closer to vertical lines. Weight 104.1 grains.  Ex Francis McGrath.  Ex 2007 C-4 Sale, lot 51.

1760  Voce Populi Halfpenny  Nelson-9  R3  VF25.  96.2 grains.  A solid problem free example of this relatively common variety, with dark olive toning on a problem free just slightly granular and glossy planchet.  From the Frealon Bibbins collection.

1760  Voce Populi Halfpenny  Nelson-9  R3  VF20.  103.9 grains.  LDS.  A choice coin with medium brown toning and very smooth glossy surfaces.  Just a touch of weakness at the right side of the reverse seated figure to make note of, but nothing to complain about with this coin..  Ex 2002 C-4 Sale, lot 58 ticket included.

1760  Voce Populi Halfpenny  Nelson-9  R3  F15.  111.7 grains.  Sharper but very dark and granular, with further porosity on the obverse and a rim bruise at the base of the reverse.  EDS.

1760  Voce Populi Halfpenny  Nelson-10  R5  AU53.  151.3 grains.  From last year’s C4 sale of the Francis McGrath Collection, one of the highlights of that sale where it was described as:   Choice glossy medium brown.  Virtually flawless, although inspection with a strong glass reveals a small spot of very shallow roughness hidden in the hair wreath below the C in VOCE plus a half dozen extremely tiny planchet voids scattered over the planchet.  You won’t care about any of that when you see this coin however, it is that nice for this variety. The planchet is egg-shaped, not perfectly round, but its quality is excellent.  The reverse is off center very slightly to K-3 while the obverse snuggles nicely onto the planchet.  Far superior to the Norweb and Taylor examples.  Smoother than the Ford coin, without its scratches, and at least as sharp.  One of the real stars of this offering. Weight a heavy 151.3 grains.  Ex Tom Rinaldo-Francis McGrath.  M&G 12/07 C4 Sale, lot 51.

1760  Voce Populi Halfpenny  Nelson-10  R5  VF.  149.8 grains.  Five points sharper with microscopic roughness most noticeable behind the obverse bust.   LDS with a pronounced “Cyrano” die break extending the tip of the nose, and some of the bridge is missing here also making for a cartoonish appearance to the face.  From the Frealon Bibbins collection.

1760  Voce Populi Halfpenny  Nelson-11  R4  EF40.  129.6 grains.  Medium olive brown, the surfaces generally smooth and nicely reflective.  Two small horizontal scratches in the field to the right of the obverse head.  Overall a pleasing coin. From the Frealon Bibbins collection.

1760  Voce Populi Halfpenny  Nelson-12  Doubled P before face  R3  EF40.  125.0 grains.  One of the major types in this series and a superior example of it.  Were it not for a small rim bruise seen at the top of the obverse/  base of reverse, this would be both choice and problem free.   Excellent chocolate brown surfaces, with toning faintly lighter on raised areas.  Great coin.  From the Frealon Bibbins collection.

1760  Voce Populi Halfpenny  Nelson-12  Doubled P before face  R3  VF35.  125.5 grains.  A near twin to the preceding lot and just as attractive.  Chocolate brown smooth and reflective.  One toned and short hidden scratch between C and E of the obverse legend but essentially problem free.

1760  Voce Populi Halfpenny  Nelson-13  Doubled P below bust  R4  F12.  146.3 grains.  Choice, with surfaces as nice as a Fine coin is capable of having; deep honey brown smooth and glossy.  Very late die state, with vertical die failure dissecting the reverse.  Oddly out of round with the planchet coming to a point at 12:00 obverse topped by a tiny rim bruise. From the Frealon Bibbins collection.

1760  Voce Populi Halfpenny  Nelson-13  doubled P below bust  R4  F12.  116.5 grains.  Another pleasing coin, though not as choice as the above lot it perhaps is a touch stronger than it.  Smooth and reflective chocolate brown toning with some darker shades by some legend letters.  Problem free.

1760  Voce Populi Halfpenny  Nelson-14  R6  EF40.  “P” below bust.   An important Voce Populi rarity and likely in the Condition Census for this variety.  Virtually a twin in both strike and wear to the coin that sold in last year’s C4 Sale.  Though our McGrath coin had finer surfaces, this coin too is above average in appearance; fairly glossy with only minor even granularity  on dark olive brown surfaces with some high points lighter.  Two old dull digs on the obverse neck are well hidden, and otherwise this is essentially problem free.  There is a small natural void above the A of HIBERNIA and a minor straight clip visible on the reverse at 7:00.  The comparably graded Ford coin was there called “one of the finest seen”, though it was surpassed by last year’s C4 coin in overall appeal.  The Ford coin was also called superior to either Taylor coin or the Norweb specimen, a further indication that the current piece likely reaches the Condition Census. M&G’s 11/04 C4 Sale had an example with near mint detail as lot #51, included in a nice run of Voce Populi’s, but it was matte from fine granularity.

1760  Voce Populi Halfpenny  Nelson-14  P below bust  R6  VG8.  105.3 grains.  A tough coin to find but a rough coin to keep.   Details of at least Fine, and the surfaces are still rather reflective, but there is significant porosity around the peripheries and more than insignificant porosity elsewhere.  Also a dull long vertical obverse scratch. From the Frealon Bibbins collection.

1760  Voce Populi Halfpenny  Nelson-15  R4  VF25.  94.4 grains.  This is a real nice coin, the variety that frequently is misattributed as a Nelson 8, so memorize the reverse, then compare it to the real Nelson 8 above.  Deep honey brown toning on choice smooth surfaces.  A few rim tics on the reverse rim and a trivial pin prick in the obverse field.  There’s a lot to like about this coin and very little not to.   From the Frealon Bibbins collection.

1760  Voce Populi Halfpenny  Nelson-16  R7  VF25.  119.6 grains.  This coin is now almost certainly the finest known example of this extremely rare variety that is key to completing the Voce Populi Halfpenny series, both stronger and nicer than the coin we offered in last year’s sale which we there then called a candidate for the finest known Nelson-16.  The planchet is toned deep golden olive offset by slightly lighter tones in raised areas.  Surfaces are lightly granular but that seems to be more a characteristic of the planchet rather than the product of any porosity.  It preserves a relatively smooth look and remains if not glossy than at least nicely reflective. The central obverse strike is soft at the center, which is similar to the strike seen on the McGrath coin we offered last year.  The reverse also shows an identical die swelling pattern to the coin in last year’s C4 Sale, at the HIB of HIBERNA, running from there to the center.  In all likelihood both of these dies were weakened by the time this muling was struck.  There is an additional thin die break on the reverse, from the rim at 12:30 down to shortly under the left base of the N.  This break too was present on last year’s example.   Last year’s sale included a rough condition census of all previously known Nelson 16’s which at that point included five coins.  The present coin was not among them, and the opportunity to offer it tonight also allows us to correct an error in last year’s catalog; Nelson 16 mules a 7 (not a 5) obverse with a Nelson 9 reverse.  Our consignor got that part right, but did not at the point when he acquired it realize that Nelson 16 designated this mule pairing, in his mind tentatively assigning this coin a Nelson 17 attribution, the lowest Nelson number available for naming a new variety.  In light of last years C4 Sale it can’t be argued that the chance to purchase a Nelson 16 is a once in a lifetime opportunity, let alone the finest known, but it could be the last chance for a good long while.  From the Frealon Bibbins collection.

A Pair of Voce Populi Varieties.  Includes a F12 Nelson 3 VOOE POPULI type, attractive golden brown and glossy, with the obverse stronger but with significant reverse central weakness with a number of faint reverse scratches; plus a VF20 Nelson 9 that is generally pleasing with glossy olive surfaces except for an area of fine scratches left of the Bust that show original copper color, along with a tiny similar patch above P of POPULI.

1766  Pitt Token  Breen-251  VF30.  81.2 grains.  Significant traces of silvering show in the protected areas on both sides of this coin which is otherwise an even deep olive brown.  A relatively pleasing example, most silvered Pitt Tokens I’ve seen, those with more silvering than this, tend to sacrifice much of their inherent attractiveness to a mottled mix of grays, blacks and browns of varied shades.  Here the remaining silvering is more subtle, shadowing the recesses of this coin the way that fading mint red tends to do on a high end About Uncirculated Copper.  Faded silvering tends to be matte like, and this coin is less reflective in the areas where it remains.  Full clear legends and date,  there is a minimal small crimp at the rim at 3:00 reverse,

1766  Pitt Token  Breen-251  VF20.  Technical detail of a stronger VF, but both surfaces are roughened by fairly even moderate porosity, with minor pitting in isolated small areas, most notably below AMERICA on the reverse.  Toned slightly mottled medium and lighter browns. Not bad overall, and quite acceptable as a budget example for someone willing to trade off some surface quality for stronger details.

(1863) William Pitt medal. Betts-515. Copper. EF45+. ZZZ grains. Pleasing glossy light brown with no problems and some remaining lustre. This variety, without a signature under the bust truncation of Pitt, was apparently struck in Philadelphia circa 1863 to sell to collectors of that era. The other Betts listed varieties show either Pingo’s signature under the shoulder or “I.W.,” who made contemporary (i.e. 18^th century) bootleg copies of this extremely popular medal. Though collected as an 18^th century striking up until very recent years, when the Ford sale included one from these dies that was known to have been custom struck in 1863 in Philadelphia, it is still a very desirable property – collectible along with 19^th century struck copies and interesting as the only Pitt-related Betts medal known to have been struck in the US.

1773 Virginia Halfpenny. Breen-180, Stop After Georgius. Counterstamped RPS. AU50. 110.9 grains. Lovely choice glossy light brown with smooth appealing surfaces. Countermarked boldly across the obverse portrait in a vertical fashion. The RPS countermark is only known on Virginia halfpence, though the identity of the countermarker or the reason for it is unknown. A very high grade piece.

1773 Virginia Halfpenny. Newman 5-Z. Breen-181, No Stop after Georgius. VF20. 119.9 grains. Pleasing dark chocolate brown with good gloss despite minor granularity. Interesting late die state with the reverse die swollen and broken internally under GI of VIRGINIA. Problem free and attractive.

1773  Virginia Halfpenny  Breen-181 without Stop after S  VG10.  Counterstamped “EB” on the obverse.  110.5 grains.  First let’s get the coin description over with.  It has mostly pleasing copper that has seen better days.  In addition to that counterstamp there are several toned scratches and small digs scattered over both sides. The color is good and it isn’t plagued by porosity.  Now then, the counterstamp.  It is placed diagonally near the obverse center over the King’s ear and facial hairline.  It is in raised letters inside an incuse irregular rectangle, one with every side slightly folding in toward the center of the rectangle at the mid point of each side.  It also has a period placed between the E and B.  These details do NOT match the counterstamp used by Ephraim Brasher on his Lima Style and Brasher Doubloons.  Yes I checked online.  Without access to the needed reference library as I sit here typing with the clock running out, some including plates of know18th and early 19^th century American silversmith hallmarks, I can’t now produce a direct match for this punch. Ephraim Brasher had a relatively long career as a silversmith, and he is known to have used other EB hallmarks in his trade, that differ in small details.  As with most things, the devil (or the saint) is always in the details.  And Brasher was not the only Early American silversmith with those initials who used those initials for his hallmark.  EB counterstamps are known on other colonial and post colonial period copper and silver coins that are not linked to Brasher. Without a compelling match, there is no way of saying when this counterstamp was applied to this coin, or even whether it happened in the 18^th or early 19^th century.   Based on memory alone this resembles a Brasher countermark on a turn of the century silver spoon that I once handled, but I don’t trust that memory and neither should you.  However since this coin is destined to be sold at a C4 Convention, all such mysteries will no doubt be cleared up before it hits the action block.  We suggest personal inspection before becoming overly enthused.  From the Frealon Bibbins collection.

1779  Rhode Island Ship Token in Brass  Breen-1141/Betts-563 with Wreath below Ship  VF35.  176.1 grains.  A nice example, and an interesting example as well.  Toned for the most part a deep warm natural golden brown with lighter brass color at points on the Island, and traces of remaining luster trapped in the rigging of the ship.   The Island side is simply pretty, with smooth somewhat glossy surfaces and nothing problematic or out of the ordinary.  On the ship side comes clouds on the horizon, literally.  The surface bulges out slightly in two small circles above the sails at 11:00 and 12:30 which makes one think of dents on the other side, except there aren’t any.  I have seen uneven, almost bubbly surfaces on Rhode Island Ship Tokens before, formed during the minting process, but on those pieces it wasn’t this localized. 

1779  Rhode Island Ship Token  Silver Plated Brass  Breen-1141/Betts-563 with Wreath below Ship  F12.   181.3 grains.  Now ain’t that a kick?  A medal for the man (or woman) who has everything (except a silvered Rhode Island Ship Token).  Actually this piece is sharper than the assigned grade but with some shallow erosion and rim scrapes, most evident at the left of the Ship side where the detail is consumed.  That silver is bright, too bad it isn’t solid, but the rims tell all. 

Early American quartet: 1723 Rosa Americana penny. Crowned Rose. VG10. Attractive gray brown with some traces of brassy color left around devices. Somewhat soft atop reverse, essentially problem free for the grade. 1767 French Colonies sou with RF countermark. VG7. Choice glossy tan. 1787 Connecticut copper. M. 32.2-x.2. R5. VF20. Light brown but a little granular and with a planchet flaw at the obverse rim near 10:00. 1787 Connecticut copper. M. 33.2-z.12. R1/ F12. Golden tan with darker fields. Lot of 4 coins.

1771  Machin’s Mills  Vlack V2-71A  R4  VF20.  118.7 grains.  Certainly above average for this variety, nice high end examples are truly hard to come by.  The surfaces here are toned a very dark olive brown lightening only slightly in some places.  In some ways they could be called smooth, in others not quite.  The obverse head has a small natural depression from an insufficient strike, with the surface there showing aspects of pre strike planchet.  Overall this coin is mildly grainy,  which isn’t bad at all, but in addition there are a few scattered small clusters of microscopic porosity on both sides, with none of those of much significance. 

1771  Machin’s Mills  Vlack V2-71A  R4  AG3.  101.8 grains.  Another genuine counterfeit of the period, so even if it isn’t much to look at, it is just as historic as any Unc.   Remember that while you are looking for the legend on the reverse, which is barely there but stronger than the date.  The obverse has clearer details and you should have no trouble making them out.  Porous but smooth in a well worn kind of way.  Mostly dark brown, some copper red showing on the reverse.

1771  Machin’s Mills  Vlack V3-71B  R5  VF30.  116.8 grains.  Very strong detail, actually equal to that of the Ringo coin that we sold in 2000, but unfortunately very dark in toning and matte on top of that from a heavy misting of microscopic porosity.  A few bad hits bruise the rims at the top of the reverse as well.  Still, this is pretty bold for this particular issue.

1771 Machin’s Mills. Vlack 3-71B. R5. F12. 117.9 grains. Glossy dark chocolate brown with an attractive even look. A glass detects some harmless fine granularity, but the surfaces look hard and smooth to the naked eye. Problem free for the grade, just a few old and well hidden fine scratches at central reverse. Cud left of 12:00 on reverse. A good looking 1771 Mould-Atlee copper.

1772  Machin’s Mills  Vlack V7-72B - U in GEORGIVS Type - R6  F18.  118.8 grains.  If this had better surfaces I would be tempted to call it full VF.  Rather it has garden variety irregular surfaces that are toned dark olive with some lighter brown peeking through at the devices.  The planchet is minimally grainy at the centers morphing to moderately porous near much of the rim.  Both sides though are nicely reflective which certainly adds to its appeal, and this is actually a high grade example for a V.7-72B.  Much stronger for example than the Ringo coin, which had nicer surfaces.  An important, and rare, major type coin for the Machins series.

1774  Machin’s Mills  Vlack V3-74A  R5  [PCGS F12] VG10.  Amazingly choice surfaces for a Machins of any grade, let alone a low grade.  Light chocolate brown, hard and glossy.  Softer struck on the right side of both sides, tops of those legends very soft.  Toned obverse scrape scratch at the back of the head, otherwise problem free.

Machin’s Mills Penny: 1774 Vlack 3-74A. R5. VG7. 106.2 grains. Sharper but evenly granular on both sides. Dark steel brown with dug surfaces. Still fairly well detailed. 1788 Vlack 23-88A. R2. F12. 97.5 grains. Sharper but with a dug patina and some roughness. Appealing olive and brown with everything clear, smooth on the devices with some scattered roughness in the fields. Lot of 2 coins.

1774  Machin’s Mills  Vlack V8-74A  R4  F12.  97.0 grains.  Some details stronger but dented in center right reverse field .   Lighter chocolate brown toning than usually seen on these, but both sides are dusted with fine porosity.

1774  Machin’s Mills  Vlack V8-74A  R4  F12.  118.3 grains.  Warm contrasting browns with some areas dark gray.  Glossy but with noticeable patches of ultra fine porosity  Several toned pinscratches at reverse left.

1774  Machin’s Mills  Vlack V8-74A  R4  F15.  116.4 grains.  Strong details in places but also pitting and  heavy porosity that undermines it’s appeal, especially on the obverse where verdigris can be found inside the pits in several places.

1775 Machin’s Mills. Vlack 4-75A. R4. F12. 115.5 grains. Dark brown with finely granular surfaces and slightly lighter high points. Glossy despite its even roughness, actually quite attractive. Sharper than the grade assigned, and we could easily see calling this a nice VF if it was perfectly smooth. Ex. Coin Galleries, July 1996, Lot 313 with lot ticket.

1775  Machin’s Mills  Vlack V4-75A  R4  VG10.  101.9 grains.  MDS.  Olive brown with fine porosity.  Reverse center very weak but legends and date full.

1776  Machin’s Mills  Vlack V6-76A  R4  Large Date  {PCGS VF30] VF30+.   Close to About EF in technical grade, this is one of the strongest Machin’s coins of this magic date that we have ever offered in a C4 Sale.  Some minor roughness in the fields and on the lower half of seated Britannia, but not unacceptably so.  Dark steely brown and chocolate toning.  Very hard to improve on this coin in grade.  Impressive.

1776  Machin’s Mills  Vlack V6-76A  R4  Large Date  VF25.  119.7 grains.  Another impressive high grade example of this very popular dated variety, not as strong as the preceding lot but on a smoother planchet that is more evenly toned a deep olive that is bright enough to retain warmth in its toning.  Physically the surfaces appear quite smooth with ultra fine granular texture that allows this coin to remain reflective.  Some very fine toned hairline scratches can be seen on the obverse bust if you look closely, but the overall eye appeal of this coin remains excellent.

1778  Machin’s Mills  Vlack V12-78B  R3  VG10.  103.1 grains.  LDS.  The obverse is stronger than this grade, the reverse weaker.  The obverse also has an X scratch at the center.  Pleasing mix of light and medium browns with scattered porosity.  Full clear date.

1778  Machin’s Mills  Vlack V13-78B  R5  F15.  103.4 grains.  LDS.  Sharper with some dull contact marks that are strongest at the bust tip on the obverse and the head of the seated figure, which it obliterated her head like an atom bomb. It’s tough not to be distracted by something like that.  Seriously, this coin has some very real strengths and some very real problems.  Light chocolate brown and glossy where not damaged.  The obverse bust has virtually AU detail in places.   But the right legends on both sides are partial due to the die state, and someone in the past excavated parts of this coin for copper ore, leaving an open pit mine where once a face had been.  Despite its minor problems, this coin is sure to find a good new home with a lucky and happy winning bidder and aficionado of the Machins series. Collectable for this lot description alone if other reasons are lacking.  Our consignor has unknowingly agreed to donate all proceeds from this coin in excess of $3,000 to C4; contract void in the event of a nuclear war.

1784  Machin’s Mills  Vlack V14-84A  R6-  F12.  93.6 grains.  C4 Sales have a long proud tradition of offering these crude beauties for sale, the only obviously non Machin’s Mills product assigned a Vlack number, and as such traditionally collected as part of the Machins  series.   Uneven in strike, the reverse has detail approaching VF with full clear legends and date and a partial central figure.  The obverse is more balanced with all design features present but rarely sharp, and a  pair of small roughly circular  punch marks, one inside the O of GEORGIOUS, the near the right rim off of the tip of the bust.   The surfaces are an unusually warm chocolate brown for this issue, and essentially glossy despite some minor granularity in the fields.

1787  Machin’s Mills  Vlack V17-87A  R2  VG8.  113.6 grains. Steely gray, reflective and just lightly porous with full legends and an essentially full date.

1787  Machin’s Mills  Vlack V17-87B  R2  VF35.  Off Center.  115.3 grains.  Wow, this is a pretty coin.  Where other lots were lacking this one is not.  Simply Choice, to boil this description down to its one word essence.  Struck 5-10% off center to 4:00 obverse, 2:00 reverse which is dramatic in and of itself, but the surfaces on this coin leave nothing realistic to be desired, They are smooth, glossy, chocolate brown and problem free.

1787  Machin’s Mills  Vlack V17-87B  R2  VG8.  108.6 grains.  Dark steely olive porous and dull with much of the obverse legend missing.  The date is clear.  MDS.

1787  Machin’s Mills  Vlack V18-87C  R4  F15.  126.8 grains.  Detail of VF but with too many problems to get away with calling it that. The obverse by itself is reasonably attractive, mostly smooth except for one area by REX and at small points in or near the right legend.  The reverse though has somewhat more obtrusive rough patches.  Very dark brown fields, high points brighter with some hints of orange so to speak.

1787  Machin’s Mills  Vlack V18-87C  R4  F15.  97.9 grains.  Some sharper details that have been rendered harmless by heavy porosity.  Evidence of retoning, but nothing garish mind you.

1787 Machin’s Mills. Vlack 19-87C. R2. VF20. 117.6 grains. Attractive tan devices contrast with darker chocolate fields. A handsome piece that is nearly smooth and looks smooth to the naked eye. A very fine old pinscratch runs diagonally across the portrait without harming it. A nice coin.

1787  Machin’s Mills  Vlack V19-87C  R2  VF20+  109.4 grains.  Yes it is stronger in places, but it is also pitted in places and porous in many others.  The color is a nice enough medium brown and the date, all legends and devices remain strong and clear. Our own free market should operate unrestricted from odious regulations to determine the true intrinsic value of this lot, assuming it isn’t riding a bubble being propped up by excessive collector reserve intervention.

1787  Machin’s Mills  Vlack V19-87C  R2  F12.  93.8 grains. Of this we might say; through micro porosity darkly.  Somewhere beneath that swirling fog lies a stronger handsome coin crying out for its freedom.  Evenly struck with dark olive brown surfaces with one notable dig in the right reverse field.

1787  Machin’s Mills Halfpenny  Vlack 21-II-87D-II  Rarity-4  AU50.  Planchet Cutter Impression Obverse.   112.0 grains.  This is a great and very cool coin that was part of our 2006 C4 Sale that included the Clem Schettino collection of Machin’s Mills coppers.  We described it there as follows: Choice glossy chocolate brown with frosty lighter brown toning in protected areas.  Outstanding color and eye appeal.  This coin exhibits the crudeness of America’s early minting technology in three distinct ways.  The planchet has a rather large, ragged void that obliterates the GE in GEORGIVS.  In addition, a stray planchet cutter impression left an arc on the right half of the obverse with traces of an opposing but much lighter arc on the right side of the reverse.  Finally it exhibits very strong die clashing in the upper left reverse field, which of course is typical for this variety.  All of this makes for one very interesting coin, although with a strike and surfaces of this premium quality, some collectors might rather this coin were a little less interesting   It is what it is, and it is quite lovely.  Early die state, with technical detail qualifying for High Condition Census.  Ex Clem Schettino Collection.  Ex M&G’s 12/2006 C4 Sale, lot 44 ticket included.

1788  Machin’s Mills  Vlack V13-88CT  R4  VF25.  101.2 grains.  Very nice, nearly choice example of this historically interesting variety that combines the Vlack-13 Machin’s Mills obverse with the D reverse used for a pair of 1788 Connecticut varieties, Miller 2-D and 16.1-D.   We have offered a number of superior examples of this die pairing for sale over the years and this coin is right up there with the best of them.  Toned a mild mahogany brown with tan highlighting, both sides are relatively glossy where smooth which includes all of the reverse and most of the obverse.  Just a thin scattering of minor porosity in the planchet can be found on either side.  Here the obverse die is seen failing in the right hand obverse legend, though not as severely as it was on the Ringo specimen.  The roughness seen in a streak running down from the ear to the mail is as made during striking and not uncommon with this variety, and the surface there remains reflective.  There also is a shallow planchet flaw at the right upper end of George’s mail.  In attempting to write an accurate description we sometimes have a tendency to detract from an appreciation of the totality of the coin, and that should not be the case here.  This is an attractive coin well worthy of appreciation.  A muling such as this is always in high demand, because collectors of two series (in this case CT and Machin’s) need to seek it for their collections, in some cases that means twice. 

1788  Machin’s Mills  Vlack V22-88VT, Vermont Ryder-31, R5-  VF25.  116.8 grains.  Sharper with scattered pits on the reverse, and some of the pits contain greenish verdigris.  A more widely known cross over Machins muled variety, as it is also collected in the much more compact than Connecticuts Vermont series.  It wouldn’t be surprising if a Vermont collector ended up with this particular coin. 

1788  Machin’s Mills  Vlack V22-88VT, Vermont Ryder-31, R5-  F18.  122.0 grains.  LDS.  Another example of this Machins muling which is also a major Red Book type coin in the Vermont series.  This is an attractive example.  Quite glossy even chocolate brown surfaces which are finely granular but which retain a smoother look.  Other than that granularity and a few micro voids flaws that go with it, this coin is problem free, unless you consider a small rim clip that shows at 7:00 obverse as a problem.  The reverse here is from a relatively blown die but not final stage die. The legends and date are all clear where they remain on the planchet, which is everywhere other than  just minor partial losses in a few places.  The center of the seated figure is gone, but her hands, feet, head and shield remain.   

1788  Machin’s Mills  Vlack V23-88A  R2  [PCGS VF30] VF30.  Choice problem free chocolate brown surfaces, and that about says it all.  A very pleasing coin..

1788  Machin’s Mills  Vlack V23-88A  R2  F15.  111.8 grains.  Sharper but granular with some shallow waxy greenish verdigris in protected areas. Date incomplete due to roughness, but no marks or scratches etc.

1788  Machin’s Mills  Vlack V23-88A  R2  F12.  84.9 grains.  Sharper but porous and slightly bent.  Still reflective, nearly full legends and a very clear date.

1788  Machin’s Mills  Vlack V23-88A  R2  G4.  106.0 grains.  Sharper but corroded and cleaned, with contrasting dark grayish brown and orange.  If I have to catalog one more Machins that looks like this tonight I will shoot a cow and eat it, and with those words the value of this lot may have doubled.

1785  Connecticut  Miller 2-A.4  R6-  VG10.  Roman Head.  Medium to dark olive brown on a lightly porous planchet that remains reflective.  Otherwise problem free.  Some weakness in the right legends keeps this from grading Fine.  A nice budget type coin despite its minor surface problems.

1785  Connecticut  M3.2-L  R4+  EF45.  143.1 grains.  An important coin likely in the Condition Census for this variety.  Strong details not only for this variety, but for any 1985 Connecticut copper.  Given it’s surface quality where unflawed, it could just as easily be graded AU50 as EF45.  Appealing fairly even chocolate brown toning varying only by minor shades, on glossy relatively hard surfaces.  Though choice, those surfaces can’t also be called smooth because of a combination of natural flaws and die rust and failure that they exhibit.   On the obverse there’s a striation void above AU, a striation line touching the O of AUCTORI and a few scattered less noticeable striae to be found if sought.  The reverse has a small striation void at the rim right of the liberty cap that extends in a linear way into the E of ET, plus there are rim flaws on both sides of INDE.  None of the flaws on either side prevent any of the legend letters from easily being read.  This late reverse die state is dramatic when seen on high grade choice surfaces, rich and complex to behold.  This coin clearly finer than either Ford coin, is similar to the less flawed Perkins coin that was there called one of the finest known, and finer than any Michael Hodder had seen at the time of Perkins other than the Oechsner coin, that being AU with a touch of fading red on the obverse.  This is simply a great coin.

1785  Connecticut  M5-F.5  R4  VF20.  123.2 grains.  EDS.  Nice detail, good color, ample gloss, but a whole lot of striations also.  A shame because the blend of dark and light chocolate toning on this coin gives a lovely cameo effect and the surfaces are actually rather hard where unflawed.  Full sharp legends and date accept for most of  the E in INDE, which was targeted by a void.   Whatever problems this coin has can all be traced back to the original planchet.

1785  Connecticut  M6.2-F.1  R3  VF35.  Goatee break variety.  141.6 grains.  Were the surfaces not slightly grainy this coin would be called choice in anyone’s catalog, as it is it still comes close.  And were they any nicer this coin would be a relative monster for this variety.  Well centered and struck, the grade if anything is conservative rather than a stretch of the VF designation.  The surfaces though short of ideal are flawless (as in they have NO flaws).  And the surfaces on this coin are still quite nice; toned even chocolate brown and glossy, free of any damage also.  We make no clear claim for this coin regarding the CC, since this variety is available in the EF range, but compared side by side in the actual metal, we suspect it would outshine some specimens that others think are in the CC. 

1785  Connecticut  M6.5-M  R6+  G5.  118.3 grains.  A forgettable coin were it not also legitimately rare.  Technical grade is irrelevant with this coin because it really does look like a G5 even though there is ample evidence, in the legends for example, that it’s true circulation grade is certainly higher.  Unfortunately a liberal serving of corrosion changed all of that.  Now it is dark, dull, and frankly unappealing but it is still rare.  Robert Martin’s published rarity listing for this variety had 15 examples extant, this could be one of them or a new find.  The thing is though that this isn’t a variety that shows up as frequently as even that high rarity rating would seem to indicate.  It was lacking from our sales of both the Jess Patrick and Robert Lomprey Connecticut collections for example, and in his cataloging of the Stack’s Perkins Sale, Mike Hodder who called Miller.6.5-M High Rarity 6 there noted that personally he had only seen 4 examples, and believed a rarity revision upwards might be in order, and at the time of the 2005 Ford Sale catalog, he repeated again that he still has only viewed four of these.  As to any questions regarding the accuracy of the attribution of this coin, it comes to us still stored in a Chris Young envelope, a man who has cherried more low grade copper rarities over the last three- decades than perhaps any man alive.

1785  Connecticut  M8-D  R5+  VF20.  The 1785 Bust Left type.  129.5 grains.  A major type in the Connecticut copper series, but one that typically disappoints in a crucial matter where this one does not.  The vast majority of 1785 Bust Left CT’s unfortunately have a weakness in the last numeral of the date, making it hard if not impossible to see that the coin isn’t dated 1786 which is commonly when this bust orientation was issued.  It’s just not the same to identify this major type CT through die match attribution rather than a naked eye affirmation of the 1785 date.   Here you don’t have to.  The 1785 date is as bold and complete here as any I have ever seen on a coin of this type.  Overall the reverse is the stronger side of this example, with strong full legends and date.  The obverse is from a late die state, as was the Perkins coin which this coin far exceeds.  Generally smooth surfaces other than some scattered striae and striations found on each side.  The one major flaw is dramatic void which fortunately is at the obverse rim at 2:00 where it has minimal impact other than effecting two letters in the obverse legend,  Attractively toned dark golden brown contrasting with a golden tan at raised points.

1785  Connecticut  M8-D  R5+  VG8.  The 1785 Bust Left type.  131.3 grains.  Dark brown and covered with fine shallow porosity.  Somewhat more reflective than that phrase might make this sound.  Most of the legends are clear and the right reverse legend is actually struck up sharply, implying a higher technical grade.  The date unfortunately is weak and fragmentary.

1786 Connecticut copper. M. 2.1-A VF25  R3. Small Head,  ET LIB INDE type. ZZZ grains. A good looking specimen of this easily recognized Redbook variety. Glossy even olive surfaces show the most microscopic granularity under a glass. A tiny mint clip tops the well-detailed obverse. The reverse features nearly full denticles, a complete date, and a wheat sheaf or two on the shield, though it also has some nearly vertical planchet striations. Struck in nearly medal turn. A desirable major variety.

1786  Connecticut  M2.1-A  R3  VF25.  Small Head, ET LIB INDE type.  102.8 grains.  Nicer than this Red Book type is usually encountered, but especially so on the more important obverse where a case is made for a higher grade still.   Dark olive brown, the obverse with a smooth appearance with the surfaces only very lightly textured, and nicely reflective   The reverse is relatively smooth and reflective but a little more grainy around the legends, with some microscopic porosity in an area near the head that has small flaws.  Planchet clipped at 12:00 obverse, shows closer to 1:00 reverse, as this coin is struck in medal orientation.

1786  Connecticut  M3-D.1  R5+  F12.  The “Scholar’s Head” type.  142.5 grains.  A really attractive example of this rather rare major type with a rather big and distinctive head.  I am tempted to call it choice but can’t because of some old obverse scratches , a couple on the cheek and three from the neck to ribbons are most obvious with a few more relatively well hidden elsewhere.  The surfaces however are quite smooth and glossy for this grade and that gloss is what catches your eye.  One soft area on the reverse that got insufficient metal flow during striking effects some of the legend ET but off centering high is what mostly is responsible for that largely being missing.  The date and all other legend letters are bold and suggestive of a higher grade but that degree of crispness is lacking at the centers and so we leave this graded as Fine12.   The toning here is just as eye catching as is the gloss, a lovely contrast of an even deep brown, approaching a rich tan on the raised portions of the coin, dramatically so on the legends and date.

1786  Connecticut  M5.2-L  R4  VG8.  127.9 grains.  One could argue for a higher grade but they should use a lawyer.  Dark and very porous, flawed at the obverse forehead.  Late die state of both sides with cuds and bulges forming.  Clear date.

1786  Connecticut  M5.3-N  R2  VF20.  “Hercules Head” type.  135.3 grains.   This example of the Hercules Head is significant as an example of the very elusive early die state reverse.  Which means that die hadn’t yet totally blown allowing for the full outline and some inner details of Seated Liberty to show along with a full clear date.  Dark olive brown and glossy, slightly grainy but essentially smooth surfaces.  The obverse is flawless and problem free, the reverse has a few scattered striations, most notably at Liberty’s neck.

1786 Connecticut copper. M. 5.3-N. R4. Hercules Head. VF30. ZZZ grains. An extremely sharp specimen with a bold visage of the famed Hercules Head. Deep olive with finely granular surfaces that still retain a bit of gloss. A heavy scrape at the rim at the bottom of the obverse does not affect the very bold portrait, nor do some other little rim scrapes on the left side of the obverse. There are a couple of minor striations, nearly vertically oriented, at the back of the head and above it to 12:00. The reverse is an early die state, before swelling obliterates most of the detail, and shows a good bold date. A planchet stration bisects the reverse from 10:30 to 4:30. Hercules Heads with such a bold portrait and a full date are scarce indeed.

1786  Connecticut  M5.4-G  R2  VF20.  A very attractive example for type. Perfectly centered, evenly struck, evenly toned, smooth glossy problem free chocolate brown surfaces.  One small linear flaw near the center of the obverse but by any standard this coin is problem free.

1786 Connecticut copper. M. 5.4-O.1. R2. EF40. ZZZ grains. Attractive dark brown with attractive even color and lively glossy surfaces. Perhaps cleaned long ago, but toned down to an appealing and natural shade. Well centered and boldly detailed. Some scattered minor rim nicks are seen, the only serious one of which is over IN of INDE and O of AUCTORI. Dies clashed with the date visible incuse above the obverse portrait. A handsome 1786 type coin with a wealth of detail.

1786 Connecticut copper. M. 5.5-M. R3. VF20. ZZZ grains. A handsome piece with a good old provenance. Deep steel brown with mostly hard glossy surfaces, but for a planchet striation that descends vertically from about 11:00 on the obverse. A related but much less obvious striation is opposite on the reverse, coming up from 6:30 to the left of the date. Well struck at centers and periphery, and the tiny liberty cap atop the pole is fully outlined. A pleasing 1786 Connecticut with an excellent pedigree. Ex. Henry Chapman-Ryder-Boyd, Boyd duplicates in the 1990 Schenkel sale by Bowers and Merena, Lot 5375. The original Chapman envelope, with some pencil notations, and the Schenkel lot ticket accompany this lot.

1786  Connecticut  M5.7-H.1  R6-  F15.  114.8 grains.  An acceptable example of this very scarce variety.  Dark gray brown, with a thin mist of green mixed into the reverse field.  Matte surfaces from even fine porosity, but nowhere are the surfaces pitted or corroded.  The strike is quite uneven, on the obverse very weak at the lower left third, on the reverse about half of the coin struck up.  Dateless as a result.  A lamination right of Seated Liberty’s head and neck, a bulging die break by the obverse neck.

1786  Connecticut  M5.8-F  R5  F12.  112.5 grains.  A coin which common decency prevents one from grading higher regardless of technicalities.  Most details are in fact weaker than even this grade though some are stronger.   But an interesting coin regardless as it is actually naturally holed.  Both sides show much evidence of past efforts to rid it of various crud, with hairline scratches and artificially bright spots left behind that have a silver tint more so than orange.  Otherwise dark gray brown.  This coin has several deep flaws in the copper as made.  A large one is in front of the obverse mouth, but the natural hole occurs within a large flaw near the edge at 11:00 obverse.  That hole is tiny in relationship to the irregular flaw, but it penetrates all the way through.

1786  Connecticut  M5.9-B.1  R5  VG7.  121.6 grains.  Smooth and rough simultaneously, it depends on whether you are looking at its major flaws.  Struck off center also with substantial planchet seen out beyond the denticles in one place on both sides.  Together the deep flaws and poor centering leave this coin with an odd rough appeal, mute witness to the crudeness of the technology used at the time and the laxness of quality control that went with it.   Dark two tone brown retaining some gloss but lacking the date due to a flaw, and some legends mostly due to centering.

Quartette of Connecticut coppers.  Includes two dated 1785 grading AG3 and G5, plus two dated 1786 grading Fair-2 and AG3.  The Fair-2 1786  is M5.2-L but the others are undetermined.  Three of the four have a readable date.  Lot of 4 coins.

1787  Connecticut  M1.2-C  R3  F15.  Muttonhead Type.   Dark brown toning on lower obverse and upper left reverse, elsewhere lighter brown. Smooth and reflective surfaces with a few small toned scratches at the upper reverse, none distracting for the grade. A few minor rim tics on both sides. Date is strong as are most of the legends, right reverse legend however is very weak .  Middle Die State. 

1787  Connecticut  M3-G.1  R6  VG10.  91.3 grains.  A variety not that often seen, one with it’s own rather distinctive look though it isn’t a designated type.  Medium to dark brown, lightly corroded and slightly bent. But it does have complete legends and date other than at the reverse right, and some detail of a higher grade.

1787  Connecticut  M4-L  R1  VF20.  139.3 grains.  Bold obverse central detail which clearly displays the total lack of any horn from the bust on this example of the earliest die state for this Horned Bust Connecticut type.  This die state is actually rare and the key of sorts for those who have fun trying to assemble a die progression set for this type.  Rare early die state before the “Horn” break begins.  A shame the surfaces aren’t smoother.  The obverse has consistent heavy but shallow porosity (or continuous fine corrosion) that doesn’t actually soften the details of the strike.  The reverse is smoother in a sense with areas of microscopic porosity.  Reflective enough not to call it matte.

1787  Connecticut  M4-L  R1  F15.  Horned Bust.  105.6 grains.  LDS, the “Horn” break strong as more typically known.  Scattered porosity and minor flaws on both sides.  Contrasting but slightly mottled dark and light browns.  The planchet rim is ragged at 2:00 obverse/ 4:00 reverse.  Reflective still, date legible.

1787  Connecticut  M6.2-M  R4  VF20.  “Laughing Head” type.  129.5 grains.  Call it VF though it clearly is both sharper and less desirable overall than your typical VF example.  Glossy over much of the surfaces with scattered porosity which is a problem but not as big a problem as two patches where that porosity intensifies and is disfiguring; obverse shoulder and neck, and reverse at and above the date.   Too bad,  for this coin has pleasing two tone chocolate toning and details of at least EF.

1787  Connecticut  M7-I  R6  VF25 but counterstamped.  “Hercules Head” type.  132.9 grains. Appealing color and surfaces, and a nicely done counterstamp also for those who don’t mind sharing their rare Connecticut type coin with an implement of exonumia.  Toned a pleasing chocolate brown, with surfaces that are both glossy and smooth where they aren’t interrupted by striations or a large, crossed, capital I counter mark.  On the obverse that counterstamp is conveniently located where it is least likely to distract from appreciation of the Hercules head, tucked neatly into the space between his hair and the right legend.  There is another such “I” punched on the reverse just left of the shield, a location where it too avoids distracting.  In fact the reverse “I” is roughly lined up at an angle that follows the flow line of striations also found on that side, which are more plentiful on the reverse than on the obverse.  Though each counterstamp is deeply impressed, bulging on the opposite side caused by the corresponding punches is minimal.  This is a variety that a number of Colonial collectors go through life hoping to find misattributed as the far more common 1786 dated version of this type, but as evidenced by this coin’s high rarity rating, precious few have succeeded in doing so.  There are a handful of great 7-I’s out there, the recent Ford coin being one of them, but this example is far above average for this issue, superior for example to the Perkins coin if one  leaves the counterstamp out of consideration.

1787  Connecticut  M7-I  R6  VF25.  “Hercules Head” type.  130.0 grains.  Partially due to the lack of counterstamps on it, and partially just because, detail on this example are in general slightly stronger than on the preceding lot, but the surfaces here are dull and dark instead.  Deep olive, almost charcoal gray with fully matte surfaces due to a thick carpet of fine porosity found on both sides.   One long striation line traverses diagonally down across the obverse, but none are present on the reverse.  The central obverse details are impressive, at least as strong as the Ford coin though the Ford reverse is more detailed.   However here UCT of AUCTORI almost vanishes completely, likely a combination of die state and planchet shape (localized thinning).  It is rarer than the coin itself to find an auction offering two examples of Miller 7-I.

1787  Connecticut  M10-E  R5  F15.  171.2 grains.  Very dark brown but glossy as well, though the surfaces are slightly rough they seem smooth enough to the naked eye.  Much of that apparent roughness is an accumulation of roller striae.  Late die states are also a contributing factor, with a long dramatic die break connecting most of the letters of AUCTORI.

1787  Connecticut  M11.1-E  R2  VF20.  Double Struck.  163.6 grains.  Dark olive brown and quite reflective.  Although the surfaces are somewhat grainy they are also fairly smooth.  Small nick on the obverse face along with faint hidden scratches in the mailing, plus a couple of diagonal pin scratches at the top of the reverse.  Small rim clip at 3:00 obverse. Now then, as for that double strike, it is quite clear in the left obverse legend where letters are out of synch, but more so on the reverse.  In addition to an off set strike in the legends, parts of two hands, two globes and two dates also clearly stand out.

1787  Connecticut  M12-Q  R3  F15.  1787 over 1887.  149.9 grains.  This coin is bold and it is rough.  It has details of a strong VF and it has a clear date which makes the overdate blunder visible even though planchet roughness prevents it from seeming bold.  Corrosive porosity has etched into much of the dark gray brown patina.  The obverse has a rim bruise at 11:00 and a smaller one at 3:30, and there is a large corroded pit in the reverse copper at the rim immediately following ETLIB.

1787  Connecticut  M13-D  R2  AU55.  103.4 grains.  Significant traces of faded mint red remain on both sides.  The right side obverse is choice while the left side is covered with shallow planchet chips and voids, as struck.  The same is true for the reverse but the unofficial dividing line dividing the sides runs more along a diagonal.  If anything there is more true mint red on the reverse than on the obverse.  But the visual effect of the accumulated surface disruptions is almost as visually dramatic as that true mint red is.  A very odd coin, amazing in its way.  The rough sides have the same basic color as the smooth ones, light chocolate brown mellowed from red,  and mint red can be found in both sectors, so the difference in surface quality is as made, and not the result of post striking environmental damage.

1787  Connecticut  M16.2-NN.1  R5+  EF40.  140.0 grains.  An exceptional coin for this variety, almost certainly high in the CC as it has both a strong technical grade and excellent eye appeal.  Steel gray and pale chocolate brown with glossy, almost frosty surfaces.  Based on detail alone this coin seems to grade About EF (VF35) factoring in areas of natural weakness, but based on its surfaces AU50 comes closer.  Though not quite hard the surfaces are quite smooth and the light roughness on the obverse head, and also on the reverse skirt, are actually retained original planchet surface.  A retained cud break connects TO of AUCTORI to the rim above,  This coin is struck slightly off center with the result that on the reverse most of the date falls off the flan.  Clearly better than the Perkins coin, which was there called condition census, and the Ford coin also in this catalogers opinion.  Hodder noted in Perkins that an EF was the finest he had seen.  But it should be noted that some lovely coins have been graded VF in the past based on soft strike characteristics.  The Oechsner coin is one of those, and it actually showed greater overall obverse detail than this coin which has weakness in the hair as made.  However Oechsner also had serious obverse scratches.  Miller 16.2-NN.1 is a very scarce variety, and this is a rare opportunity to acquire one of the finest examples know of this very scarce variety.

1787  Connecticut  M16.5-n  R6  G4.  153.4 grains.  Pleasing for a well worn piece.  Nice chocolate toning, smooth enough surfaces, and more than adequate gloss for the grade.  The obverse left legend is partial and the date is gone. Small scrape in front of Seated Liberty’s head.

1787  Connecticut  M24-FF  R6  AG3.  145.3 grains.  Mostly dark with some areas hinting pink from efforts to clean the surface.  The reverse has stronger detail but the obverse here is pretty much shot from heavy porosity and striation voids.  Just NEC can be made out from that legend while on the reverse the entire reverse center and right side show clear details.  Though far from perfect the reverse is the better side,  Date partial.

          1787 Connecticut M.25-b R3 AU55 139.6 gns. This coin was lot 112 in our 11/2002 C4 Sale, where it was described as: “An exceptionally nice coin, with lovely light brown toning on hard glossy surfaces.  A bit softly struck at the lower reverse shield and globe area, but needle sharp elsewhere, such as Seated Liberty’s hair.  Only traces of rub can be found.  It takes careful study to detect a few very fine toned hairline scratches well hidden along the back of the obverse neck.  Saying “only mentioned for the sake of accuracy” in this case is the truth and nothing but. The flan this coin was made from shows an abortive blanking attempt represented by a line which runs along the border denticles from 1:00 to 5:00 o'clock on the reverse, similar to the Taylor coin. It almost certainly falls within the Condition Census for this variety, surpassing the Perkins and Oechsner examples.  Surprisingly several Choice Uncirculated examples of this variety are known, including the plated Hessberg, Taylor, and Norweb coins.  This coin likely is 5th in the census, and is attractive enough to grace any cabinet.  Reverse die rotated about 30 degrees.”  Since that time another of those Uncs mentioned above, the primary Ford coin, has emerged and changed hands.

1787  Connecticut  M27-a.1  R5+  F15.  135.4 grains.  A slightly above average CT cooper which makes it moderately pleasing if one shows tolerance for minor problems.  Two tone chocolate lightly porous reflective surfaces with full legends and most of the date still on the planchet.  A few small reverse digs.

1787  Connecticut  M30-hh.1  R2  VF20. 146.7 grains.  The detail of this coin is greater than VF, more like EF actually, but the quality it delivers falls short of VF because of extensive fine porosity coating the obverse and worse porosity on the reverse, including corrosion gunk surrounding much of the devices there.  Both sides are dark and matte, and a little copper red shows on the obverse with more on the reverse figure where there also are hairlines from efforts made to clean it.

1787 Connecticut copper. M. 31.1-r.4. R2. VF25. Painted Die Variety. ZZZ grains. Pleasing tan devices contrast with darker brown fields. Evenly struck with good detail even at centers, well centered with the date complete. “31 R” has been delicately painted in white ink in the left obverse field, the careful effort of an early collector using his copy of Dr. Hall’s list. A nice example of a PDV.

1787  Connecticut  Miller 31.1-gg.1  Rarity-3  VF30.  ET LIR variety.  Slightly Off Center.   130.9 grains.  A premium Connecticut copper, with glossy, almost hard surfaces toned medium brown with traces of chocolate in protected areas.  The only defect is a thin, shallow planchet fissure over the R in AUCTORI.  Some natural pre strike roughness shows at points where this coin did not fully strike up, such as on the obverse head.  Struck slightly off center to K-4.  The date and legends are strong, although ET is tight to the edge.  Ex Hillyer Ryder-B&M 3/28/90:1082  Ex-Bob Lomprey Collection – 2006 M&G C4 Sale lot 252.

1787  Connecticut  M33.2-Z.5  R1  [PCGS XF45] EF45.  Medium chocolate brown, problem free and attractive.  Well struck with sharp details aside from small areas of localized weakness at the reverse globe and at I of the obverse legend. Small linear flaw at the obverse cheek line, otherwise smooth and glossy.  Typically seen reverse die break from D to Liberty’s waist.  An excellent certified type coin for the series,

1787  Connecticut  M33.2-Z.12  R1  AU55.  129.5 grains.  Extremely choice surfaces with frosty mint luster covering the protected areas.  Much nicer in person than can possibly be conveyed by a plate, the surfaces of this coin are pure satin.  What might look rough in a photo is actually just original planchet surfaces that were insufficiently struck during minting.  The difference between that condition and post strike porosity is clearer than night and day when viewed on a high end coin such as this.  It is the raw beauty of an uncut diamond or of an unmelted gold nugget.  A truly lovely example of a Connecticut Copper that can stand in as a type coin in the finest of collections.  And a high CC example of this variety as well.  Ex Lyman Low 2/25/1908:554-unknown-John J. Ford, Stack’s 5/10/2005:354.

1787  Connecticut  Miller 33.3-W.1  Rarity-4+  EF40.   130.1 grains.  This is the Bob Lomprey coin from our 2006 C4 Sale.  Attractive glossy medium brown and chocolate with hints of frosty luster remaining in protected areas.  Lovely, despite a shallow planchet lamination running from the field under the U in AUCTORI to the cheek and another in the field behind the head of the seated figure.  The only sign of contact is a dull rim nick over the first N in CONNEC.  Otherwise this piece is choice in every respect.  The date and legends are complete and bold.  Ex Chris Schenkel, B&M 11/12/90:5578.  Ex M&G 2006 C4 Sale lot 286.

1787  Connecticut  M33.4-q  R5  VF20.  128.6 grains.  Struck on an egg-shaped planchet, aligned vertically.  Slightly dull, somewhat rough but with some details stronger than the grade given.   Contrasting dark golden and lighter brown.  This planchet bears witness to the technology of that time.

1787  Connecticut  M33.4-q  R5  F15.  124.0 grains.  Glossy with a burnished look, with slightly washed out medium brown toning and intrinsically granular surfaces.  Well centered with full legends and date.

1787  Connecticut  M33.7-r.2  R1  AU58+.  139.5 grains.  Very close to mint state with frosty cartwheel luster showing in protected areas and hints of faded mint color peeking through in a couple places.  To truly appreciate the beauty of the finest Ford Collection coins sometimes it in necessary to remove one from that context and study it alone   without company of its peers.  There are examples of this variety that struck up stronger than this one but rarely is a Connecticut Copper  lovelier.  Warm chocolate brown color slowly mellowed from original copper on hard problem free surfaces with only natural roughness.  Ex John J. Ford, Stack’s 5/10/2005:363.

1787  Connecticut  Miller 33.9-s.2  Rarity-2  VF30.   138.8 grains.  Very attractive glossy light to medium brown.  A choice example, well struck and nicely centered on a solid planchet.  The date and legends are complete and bold.  Ex Don Valenziano-Bob Lomprey.  Ex M&G 2006 C4 Sale.

1787  Connecticut  M33.11-Z.18  R5  VG10.  134.0 grains.  Another just slightly above average CT copper in that this has no serious detractions.  Medium steely brown toning on surfaces dusted with some fine porosity.  Reasonably smooth, reasonably attractive, full clear legends and date.

1787  Connecticut  M33.13-Z.6  R5+  F12.  149.3 grains.  Sharper but with porous surfaces that get rougher on the reverse.   Medium golden brown out of round planchet that was struck high obverse, low reverse.  The latter plus corrosion equals no date.

1787  Connecticut  M33.15-r.1  R2  Double Struck EF40.  117.8 grains.  A splendid double strike, probably the finest we have ever offered in a C4 Sale, just to put it bluntly. 

Essentially a perfect error coin.  Hard glossy problem free surfaces; check.  Wildly separated and bold strikes competing equally for the planchet; check.  Lovely light brown toning with faint darker shadowing of devices to make them further stand out; check.  The two strikes are offset by a third of an inch.  Here’s a neat trick though.  Parts of the covered strike’s design emerge triumphant right where you would have expected them to be had they never been covered, except now they cover portions of the design that covered them up in the first place.  On the obverse those are the legend letters CO, and on the reverse they are the date numerals 87.  There is a technical explanation for this but I’m not the one to ask to explain it.  No matter how you look at this coin though it is spectacular.  Ex John J. Ford Collection, Stack’s 5/10/2005 lot 384.

          1787 Connecticut M.33.16-Z.15 DBL (R-4) AU55 126.6 gns.  An extremely choice coin retaining original luster with tan surfaces, hard and glossy where fully struck.  In those areas, including the full head on the obverse, and the drapery details on that Bust, details are needle sharp.  Similarly on the reverse, Liberty’s skirts, the globe and shield, her branch hand and elsewhere are fully crisp.  Much of the remaining central device areas however struck softly, or simply did not strike up. The area between Liberty’s head, arms, and waist show little but raw pre strike planchet surfaces.  The same is true of the neck region of the obverse effigy, slipping onto the drapery.  All as struck.  Aside from the toning this coin is virtually the same today as the day it left the mint.  One tiny nick over the first N on the obverse, and no other problems. Almost certainly in the condition census for this variety, with the Choice AU Ford coin being a contender for finest known. Ex M&G 2002 C4 Sale, lot #304.

1787  Connecticut  M33.16-Z.15  R4  VF30.  Double Struck with 2 bold dates.  130.2 grains.  A second dramatic double strike to offer you.  The surfaces here are choice for the grade, showing nice chocolate brown toning on relatively smooth and glossy surfaces.  Here one strike is clearly dominant over the other on each side, as if one coin were laying in a stack on top of another, covering most but not all of the lower one.  On the obverse that means a second nearly full CONNEC to the right of the upper one, and on the reverse it allows most of a second date to peek out from below the first one and part of ETLIB to escape out from under along the right.                                           

1787  Connecticut  M33.30-EE  R6-  VF20.  137.1 grains.  Above average for this scarce variety with medium chocolate toning and largely smooth surfaces that are relatively glossy.  The obverse has a few toning spots but no significant problems. The reverse has a number of minor toned digs scattered about but most of them blend in acceptably and gloss is very forgiving.   Better than the Ford coin which had problems of its own, and overall finer than the weaker Perkins coin also.  The census for this variety seems to include VF’s so this would be an extremely difficult coin to improve on.

1787  Connecticut  Miller 33.34-Z.11  Rarity-5  VF25.   134.0 grains.  Glossy medium brown with darker olive brown in the fields and protected areas, the two-tone look accenting the details and enhancing the eye appeal.  The surfaces appear smooth to the unaided eye, but a glass reveals fine roughness in the fields and protected areas.  No verdigris or contact marks.  A couple small planchet fissures on the neck do not catch the eye.  Struck slightly off center to the top leaving the lower half of the date off the planchet.  Otherwise the date and legends are complete and strong.  The attribution is inked into the field off the chin.  Ex Herbert M. Oechsner, Stack’s 9/8/88:1139. Ex-Bob Lomprey, ex M&G 2006 C4 Sale lot 354.

1787  Connecticut  M33.34-Z.11  R5  F12.  142.3 grains.  What this coin has going for it are details, which are VF in places.  But it’s color is dark with signs of cleaning on the obverse and it’s surfaces are quite rough from corrosive porosity.  The date is partial but can be made out.

1787  Connecticut  M33.36-T.2  R2  VF20.  132.1 grains.  Some details stronger but these surfaces play hosts to swarms of microscopic porosity and some light corrosion.  Medium brown and pretty much free of marks, full clear legends and date..

1787  Connecticut  M33.43-q  R5+  VG8.  123.6 grains.  Medium steel brown and dulled by porosity.  Reverse significantly stronger than the obverse, with the date mostly legible but the 8 is a challenge.

1787 Connecticut copper. M. 33.45-w.2. R6. EF45. ZZZ grains. Almost certainly Condition Census by variety if only sharpness, color, and surface quality were considered … but there is a heavy circular punchmark at the central reverse than has created a large raised injury squarely at central obverse. Were it not for that, this coin would be a superb choice glossy piece, likely one of the best of this rare variety. As it is, it’s a supremely sharp example that should upgrade an advanced collection. The 2000 Perkins piece that brought almost $700 was well worn, graded Fine and called probable CC. The Ford piece was similarly sharp but was cleaned to brightness.

1787  Connecticut  M34-ff  R5  EF40.  ET LIR variety.  150.2 grains.  The reverse is choice and visually impressive while the obverse looks rougher as it is covered with shallow planchet flakes, as struck.  Appealing deep tan toning, and glossy.  Well centered and struck, bold full legends and date.  LDS.

1787 Connecticut copper. M. 36-l.1. R5+. VF35. Painted Die Variety. ZZZ grains. Glossy light brown with excellent eye appeal. Somewhat softly struck in the usual spots at central reverse, showing some of the unstruck planchet’s texture. A few extremely tiny rim ticks may be seen, none egregious enough to be called nicks. The sharpness is very good in most regions, rivaling the EF Miller-Boyd-Ford coin that realized $1035 in the Ford sale. The left obverse field has been painted “36 l” with a tiny superscript 1, and a M has been painted in the right obverse field. A very pleasing example of this scarce variety, perhaps one that approaches the CC.

1787  Connecticut  M37.11-ff.2  R5  F12.  137.5 grains.  Nice for the grade with smooth reflective tan surfaces and no ,marks of any note..  Full legends and date.

1787  Connecticut  M37.12-TT  R6  VG8.  127.7 grains.  Chocolate brown and reasonably smooth.  Struck off center low obverse and high reverse with the strike weaker at those points.  Natural obverse flaw below chin, most of legends clear with a strong date.  About twenty of these are thought to exist.

1787  Connecticut  M39.2-ee  R5  AUCTOBI type VG10.  137.9 grains. Some scattered natural striation flaws but relatively smooth on light brown glossy surfaces.  Most of the legends are clear including AUCTOBI and the date is full.

1787  Connecticut  M42-kk.2  R5+  AUCTOPI type VG8.  149.7 grains. Medium brown with scattered light porosity on each side but still passably smooth looking surfaces, but the reverse has many old toned pin scratches.  Full clear legends with almost all of the date present.

1787  Connecticut  M43.1-Y  R2  CONNFC.  VG10.  148.2 grains.  Very reflective dark brown surfaces, with lighter high points showing a pinking hue evidence of a prior cleaning and retoning.  Some striations on each side.  Full clear legends and almost all the date.

1787 Connecticut copper. M. 43.1-Y. R2. CONNFC. Double Struck. F12. ZZZ grains. A boldly double struck Connecticut that is, in essence, a double error – someone made the cross error of hammering a nail through the middle of it. The obverse double strike does not show much, just evidence of a second FC below the shoulder of the portrait. The reverse, however, is magnificently and boldly double struck, with the second strike at least 50% off-center to 12:00. Aside from the hole, the coin is very appealing, with glossy medium brown surfaces, lighter devices, and a nice planchet. Connecticut errors are always avidly collected, and this is the first we recall seeing on a CONNFC. The hole only serves to make it a bit less expensive.

1787  Connecticut  M43.2-X.4  R5  VF20.  CONNFC variety.    Chocolate brown with lighter toning at raised points.  Both sides display even fine porosity in a balanced manner, resulting in reasonably nice eye appeal.  A tough variety to find in higher grades.

1787  Connecticut  M44-W.4  R5  R4  F12.  119.8 grains.  A mix of dark and medium browns on a grainy but still reflective planchet with very weak fine hairline scratches on both sides that are well hidden.  Date almost full but hard to make out.

1787  Connecticut  M46-BB  R5  [PCGS VG10] VG10.  Choice for the grade.  Smooth two tone chocolate surfaces with a bold date and clear legends that would be complete were this not struck slightly off center to K-1.

Group of Five 1787 Connecticut coppers, all rare varieties.  Includes M16.6-NN.2 Fair-2, M33.5-T.2 G6, M33.23-Z.4 AG3, M37.13-HH AG3, and M44-Z.10 AG3.  Some are sharper with defects.  Lot of 5 coins.

Group of Five 1787 Connecticut coppers.   Grades range from AG3 to VG7, average G4.  Three of the five have a readable date.  Lot of 5 coins.

1788  Connecticut  M2-D  R1  VF35.  An exceptionally attractive example of this variety, with smooth glossy problem free surfaces.  Toning is an even mahogany tinted chocolate brown in the fields with raised portions pleasantly offset in pale olive brown.  A problem free coin perfect for type collectors.

1788  Connecticut  M2-D  R1  VF30.  104.5 grains.  Smooth pleasing surfaces with somewhat mottled but in no way unattractive toning, a mix of medium and dark brown with some more ruddy patches on the obverse, closer to uniform medium brown on the reverse.  LDS.

1788  Connecticut  M3.1-B.1  R5+  F18.  112.8 grains.  Actually at least VF detail with choice color and surfaces except for several obvious dull voids and deep contact marks on both sides.  Struck on a wider than usual planchet with a large ring of excess planchet beyond the dentils on one side.  Bold legends and date.

1788  Connecticut  M6-H  R5+  F12.  108.1 grains.  Relatively smooth and reflective surfaces that have been cleaned and retoned in a reasonably natural olive and medium brown looking way, with faint hairlines on the reverse.  Almost full legends and a strong full date.  LDS.

1788  Connecticut  M7-E  R5  VF20.  Weakly impressed dies lead to shallow detail on this attractive example of the variety.  Even chocolate brown toning on a glossy generally smooth planchet.

1788  Connecticut  M9-E  R5+  EF40.  This late consignment to our sale coin comes with a tag that states “Ex Chapman” which we didn’t have time to further track down and confirm (to your libraries, C4 members – this is a take home quiz).  Regardless, it is a very pleasing coin despite a small impression in the planchet above the date that causes a corresponding wear point on the obverse forehead,  No details are in any way effected on the reverse side, and both sides are hard and glossy with warm tobacco brown and tan toning.      

1788  Connecticut  M9-E  R5+  VF25.  115.4 grains.  Sharper but with microscopic planchet roughness and significant striations on the reverse.  Slightly off center slightly effecting part of the obverse right legend, otherwise legends and date are full and bold.

1788  Connecticut  M9-E  R5+  G6.  120.8 grains.  Mottled dark and medium browns, some details stronger but the obverse center and left are weak.  Small round and likely man made impression at the reverse head.  Full clear date.

1788  Connecticut  M10-C  R5  G4.  107.5 grains.  Overstruck on a Nova Constellatio, Crosby 4-C (a very scarce variety) with the NOVA star burst bursting under the obverse CT head, and NOVA legends dominant at the left.  Details weak at several points as to be expected but this is a very pleasing coin for the grade.  Mostly toned light chocolate, just the very top of the date visible.

1788  Connecticut  M11-G  R2  VF25.  111.8 grains.  Clipped Planchet at 11:00 obverse, dark brown and generally smooth with gloss more than compensating for slight granularity in the surfaces.  Bold date, essentially problem free and pleasing.

1788  Connecticut  M12.1-E  R5  AU50.  Struck with near medal die orientation.  A superior example, deep chocolate brown and glossy with strong details.  What might seem like slight roughness on the obverse is in fact evidence of die failure and rust, the reverse is smooth. One old and faded pin scratch faintly visible on the obverse crossing the Bust at the chin is the only mark of any note. A very attractive example for either type of this variety.        

1788  Connecticut  M12.1-E  R5  [NGC VF25] VF20.  Struck with near medal die orientation.  Smooth and pleasing dark olive planchet toned lighter at high points.  Full date, weak at the top of both sides.

1788 Connecticut copper. M. 12.1-F.1. R5. VF30. ZZZ grains. Handsome chocolate brown with lighter devices that show excellent contrast to the fields. Well struck, obverse well centered, reverse aligned trivially to the left with the tops of INDE off the edge, date complete. A small planchet void at nearly precise central reverse is the only notable flaw, though some little striations or granularity can be seen here and there under a glass. A good looking example of a variety that’s very scarce in high grades.

1788  Connecticut  M12.2-E  R6+  VF25.  130.1 grains.  Details of a slightly higher grade in places, but with several toned pin scratches on each side.  Generally smooth and pleasing contrasting deep and paler olive brown surfaces.  Sharp date.  A rare variety, Robert Martin listed 16 known in notes he published after the Perkins sale.  The Ford Sale lacked this variety.  This coin is much nicer than the very granular VG/F Perkins coin.  An important opportunity for the CT specialist.

1788  Connecticut  M13-A.1  R5  F12.  124.3 grains.  Clipped Planchet between 9:00 and 10:00 obverse.  Two tone brown, smooth and glossy for the grade.  Problem free but struck off center high obverse, and since the  reverse die is partially rotated legends on the right there and most of the date is effected.  A nice coin.

1788  Connecticut  M16.1-D  R3  VF20.  119.9 grains.  Pretty much all you can ask for from this grade.  Delightfully smooth glossy chocolate brown surfaces that are problem free.  Full strong legends and date.  Ex ANR Sale 6/2005 lot 1070 ticket included.

1788  Connecticut  M16.1-H  R4  VF20.  119.9 grains.  Very late die state.  Surfaces are relatively hard and glossy for the grade, toned two lightly contrasting medium chocolate browns.  Left legends weak due to specific characteristics of the planchet it was struck on, which has some natural flaws and irregularities.  Struck low reverse, with half of the date missing.  Overall a very pleasing coin.

1788  Connecticut  M16.3-N  R2  [PCGS VF30] VF30.  An above average and pleasing coin.  Mixed dark and light browns, generally smooth surfaces with no significant problems apparent.

1788  Connecticut  16.5-H  R5-  VF20.  Glossy two tone chocolate brown planchet, smooth and pleasing.  A couple of tiny rim ticks on the reverse are truly trivial, and some minor striae at the base of the obverse.  Nice coin.

1788  Connecticut  17-Q  R5+  VG8.  112.3 grains.  Sharper but lightly corroded on a dark planchet.

Pair of Connecticut coppers.  Includes 1785 M4.1-F.4 African Head VF30 net VG10 for fine granularity and 1787 M44-W.4 F15 net G6 for a dent and moderate corrosion.  Lot of 2 coins.

Pair of Connecticut coppers, both M4-L.  One is from the early die state grading VG7 and the other is from the late die state with a pronounced “Horn” break from the bust grading VG10.  Both are slightly sharper with minor defects but a clear date.  Lot of 2 coins.

Group of Five 1788 Connecticut coppers, all rare varieties.  Includes M3-B.1 G6, M7-E AG3, M7-F.2 AG3, M12.1-E G6, and M14.2-A.2 Fair-2.  The date is readable on 3 of the 5.  Lot of 5 coins.

Quartette of Scarce 1788 Connecticut coppers.  Includes M7-E Fair-2, M12.1-F.1 AG3, M16.1-H VG7, and M16.1-H AG3.  All have a readable date.  Lot of 4 coins.

Group of Six Connecticut coppers grading Fair-Good.  Most are sharper with defects but all have a readable date.  Lot of 5 coins.

A Dozen Cull Connecticut coppers.  No dates, just clunkers that may be attributable by someone with too much time on their hands.  That ain’t me.  Lot of 12 coins.

1787  Massachusetts Half Cent  Ryder 1-D  R4  Choice Uncirculated.  79.5 grains.  The first in a deep run of truly exceptional Massachusetts Half Cents, one that both sets and displays a fine tone for the evening.  This coin was sold as an AU58 the last time it was offered,..  BUT THERE IS NO WEAR THERE.  It’s an honest Unc and a choice one at that.  In the Bill Weber Sale this was described as: “Nice glossy chocolate brown with frosty light brown in protected areas” and I agree. It isoth problem free and compelling.  The Ryder 1-D Half Cent should be regarded as a naked eye type, featuring a rounded shield on the reverse rather than the flat surface seen on other varieties  In notes Mike Packard prepared for a C4 Convention seminar on Massachusetts Coppers he noted this variety is “tough above VF”.  The census includes at least three coins called Uncirculated according to a survey Packard conducted in the early 90’s.  This coin is better struck on the shield than the Norweb AU55 which had been the finest example offered through auction in decades. Superior also to the AU58 coin sold as lot #357 in our 2003 C4 Sale, to the AU coin offered in the 1/2003 Stack’s Americana Sale, and to the AU example in B&M’s 3/2003 Craig N. Smith Sale.  The primary Ford coin was a choice red and brown Unc offered as lot 61 in Stack’s 10/2004 Ford V Sale.  Ex Richard Picker 1960-unknown-Don Valenziano 9/88-Bill Weber, McCawley & Grellman Auctions/Superior 6/3/2002:2064. 

1787  Massachusetts Half Cent  Ryder 1-D  R4  VF20.  69.9 grains.  A pleasing middle grade type coin eminently suitable to most colonial collections.  Deep olive brown, glossy and problem free for the grade.  Slight weakness at upper reverse legend due to centering there.

1787  Massachusetts Half Cent  Ryder 1-D  R4  F12.  66.7 grains.  A nice low grade example, quite attractive for what it is.  Wear leaves this coin right at the cusp of the VG/Fine divide , but eye appeal wins it the nod.

          1787 Massachusetts Half Cent  Ryder 3-A  R5-  AU55.  72.0 grains. This coin, for comparison sake, is far superior to either of the examples in the John Ford Collection, and almost certainly solidly in the Condition Census for this variety.  It is the Norweb coin, and likely solidly in the census for this very elusive and oddly crude variety.   Purchased by Norweb from Richard Picker, in the Norweb Sale it was boxed and described as “Outstanding Quality.  Glossy rich chocolate brown, with mint red hints around much of the periphery and the central devices.  Far superior to Taylor: 2108. Usual ‘poor’ obverse die work and clear evidence of dishing.  Possibly among the finest known of the variety.”  When sold by us in 1999 we noted; “On close examination it is likely that the mint color described is not completely natural, though the toning described still matches this coin exactly.  Assuming this coin was in some way recolored (prior to the Norweb Sale), it was done very well, and is pleasing and realistic enough to warrant the above description.”  When Mike Packard did a census study of MA copper in 1990, he ranked this coin behind one Unc. in private hands, and the AU55 ANS specimen.  Below it were two AU50s. Ex Norweb Collection, B & M 3/88:2647-1999 C-4 Sale, lot #198.

1787  Massachusetts Half Cent  Ryder 4-B  R5  MS64.  79.0 grains.  Lustrous red and brown with 15% of the slightly faded original mint color remaining.  Removed from a PCGS slab graded MS64BN (PCGS label included, and it shows the Benson provenance).  Flawless hard and unblemished surfaces, showing characteristic original planchet roughness near the Indian’s waist where metal flow was insufficient at striking.  Very minor circular rim clip at 3:00 on both sides does not touch the legends and actually is a rare feature on Massachusetts State coinage   This coin would be stunning as an example of the far more common Ryder 4-C, but as a Ryder 4-B it’s amazing. It sold unattributed as lot #49 in Goldberg’s Benson Sale to our consignor’s delight.  Oddly enough for a scarce issue (R,4-B should be pegged at the high end of a 5 rating)  there likely are enough Unc’s known, including two Ford examples, to fill a 6 coin census, but it is hard to imagine that this lovely example isn’t solidly found within it.  Ex Goldberg Benson Collection Sale, 2/2002 lot #49.

1787  Massachusetts Half Cent  Ryder 4-B  R5  EF40.  Here we offer an exceptional circulated example of this scarce half cent variety that oddly enough also is clipped, but this time at 7:00 obverse.  But here again, no legends are effected by the clip.  There is a small area of striking weakness at the obverse center as frequently seen, and no problems. Evenly toned a pleasing chocolate brown on smooth glossy surfaces.   Massachusetts Half Cents make for a compact yet intriguing series to collect, complete with ample but achievable challenges for the collector seeking to assemble a full set. Only 1787 Ryder 4-D is essentially non collectable, while only 1787 Ryder 4-C and 1788 Ryder 1-B are actually common.  These are America and the world’s first Half Cents.

1787  Massachusetts Half Cent  Ryder 4-C  R2  EF45.  73.5 grains.  Smooth glossy and problem free chocolate brown surfaces. Ideal for the grade. This would make an excellent circulated type coin.

1787  Massachusetts Half Cent  Ryder 5-A  R3  AU58.  71.5 grains.  Scarce late die state with a pronounced cud break over HUS, and a slight die break forming from the top of the obverse A to the rim at 3:00.  Slight weakness at centers as both struck and typical, but just a few rubs off from Unc.  Even chocolate brown toning on smooth glossy surfaces, with traces of mint red remaining within the reverse left legend.  Yet another superb problem free example.  Ex Stack’s 10/20/99:4-Jim McGuigan 11/6/99-Bill Weber, McCawley & Grellman Auctions/Superior 6/3/2002:2070.

1787  Massachusetts Half Cent  Ryder 5-A  R3  AU53.  77.3 grains.  Another scarce late die state example, similar to the preceding lot but with the obverse break not yet forming.  Sharply struck, slightly more complete at the centers than the preceding lot. Choice problem free glossy brown surfaces.  Very nice.  Ex B & M 1/9/92:818-Angel Pietri 9/02.

1787  Massachusetts Half Cent  Ryder 5-A  R3  VF25.  72.7 grains.  Nice even brown toning. The planchet is slightly granular and porous in places most concentrated at upper left center.  No other problems and all details are full and clear.

1787  Massachusetts Half Cent  Ryder 6-A  R6-  VF35.  74.5 grains.  A key coin to the series, perhaps the rarest of the collectable varieties.  Essentially EF, but the surfaces are a half shade off from natural as it has probably been cleaned and retoned, with a faint bluish tinge surrounding the Indian and traces of copper color surrounding the eagle on the reverse.  Overall fairly natural looking and pleasing.  Predominately medium brown and smooth and nicely reflective. Two minor toned scratches on the Indian.  Missing from Taylor, finer than the Norweb example.  Ford had a nicer EF, and in fact the 6 coin census for R.6-A drops to the EF level.  Ex Mike Ringo-Bill Weber, McCawley & Grellman Auctions/Superior 6/3/2002:2071.

1787  Massachusetts Half Cent  Ryder 6-D  R6-  AU.  69.4 grains.  A tough coin to assign a more specific grade to because in most regards it is a lovely high end AU but it also has been minimally tooled to strengthen some details on the Indian, as can be noted by closely comparing the obverse of this coin with that of the other two Ryder 6 Half Cents in this sale.  Very skillfully done, the effect is most detectable at the sash on the Indian’s waist, the shape and angle of which has slightly been altered.  Most of what appears as dramatically strong detail is in fact legitimate strong detail, bold due to  the lack of human intervention, in this case wear that never happened. The obverse fields have two small spots of miniscule faint hairlines that are extremely well blended in the gloss, and there is a thin faint dull and shallow vertical impression in the planchet to the right of the right wing running down toward the rim.  These issues are noted here in detail because this coin is both a high end and important example of this rare variety.  However they are also all very subtle, and this coin remains highly attractive and quite appealing, with natural flash and smooth choice warm chocolate brown surfaces.  Depending on how you net this coin, it could be solidly in the CC which includes EF examples.

1787  Massachusetts Half Cent  Ryder 6-D R6-  VF35.  77.0 grains.  A glossy and very pleasing coin with just minor problems, namely a few quite trivial obverse toned scratches, one above the Indian’s head, another in front of the legend’s C, one from the waist to the bow, and one from the arrow head to the rim, plus a faint reverse pin scratch from M toward the shield.  Toned a slightly lighter and warmer shade of brown than most MA Half Cents, which usually tend towards darker olive, and that toning is well complimented by this coin’s natural flash and nicely balanced strike.. 

1788  Massachusetts Half Cent  Ryder 1-A R4+  MS64.  74.6 grains.  Traces of faded mint color remain in some of the protected areas of this remarkable coin.  That red shadows the bottom and right of the eagle and some of the reverse legend letters. Removed from a PCGS slab graded MS64BN (old green PCGS label is included).  As one might expect, this coin is lovely.  Purchased by our consignor from Jim McGuigan in 6/02, when Jim upgraded his own example - may all downgrades be so sweet.  This coin displays some pleasing shade of mellowed brown on it’s surfaces, it is just hard to get a clearer read than that, what with having to peer beneath so much gloss to see it.  Each side has a tiny rim tic on it but if we don’t point out where to look for them it will take you awhile to even find them, that’s how minor they are.  This coin ranks high in the condition census, although it can probably be assumed that McGuigan has a yet finer example.  This is struck on a planchet superior to the mint state Ford coin  The CC for Ryder 1-A drops to AU, so any Unc of it is a rare find indeed.

1788 Massachusetts Half Cent Ryder 1-B (R-3) AU55 81.8 grains.  Obviously but imperceptibly tooled.  On the obverse what looks like painted numbers and letters rather than scratches, turns out to be neither of those choices.  Left of the Indian is the letter W with the number 17 below it.  Right of the Indian is the letter W with the Letter B below that.  The numerals and letters are raised above the coin’s surfaces almost as if die struck, but this die is not known to have been defaced, and the letters while deftly executed are crudely drawn in a manner no one who had access to the legitimate die would arguably have done.  Why was such effort expanded on this particular tooling? The top line of the seven for example is formed from one short line that is bisected into twin parallel lines with a third tiny line nestled close in against it at a minimal tangent. No scratches exist in close proximity to the tooling, and given the choice glossy surfaces, that is remarkable.  This coin has a ragged edge flaw at 4:00 obverse that allows visual access into the planchet below its surface, and there is no evidence of an electrotype.  All of this begs the question; what would or could W 17 - W B signify to anyone? To the right of the rather crudely crafted tooled letter B are some very fine scratches that look like a graffiti numeral 8, which is what this cataloger assumes it to be.  The B in question though crude does not look like an 8, and the graffiti does not at all resemble that B.  There is some logic to having the number 17 in the left field, and the number 88 in the right.  But it appears the graffiti was an after thought effort made by a second individual.  The coin itself is quite choice, with pleasing brown toning associated with most high end MA coppers, and even traces of what could be faint mellowed original color outlining parts of some obverse letter devices.  Ex M&G 2003 C4 Sale lot 366 Ticket included.

1788  Massachusetts Half Cent  Ryder 1-B R2 AU50.  88.2 grains.  The typed envelope this came in states XF-45 Choice.  That’s a conservative way of putting it.  Most current collectors would consider this coin AU, the surfaces certainly indicate it.  Smooth, virtually hard, and glossy with even chocolate toning.  I suppose one could note a tiny reverse rim tic at 2:00, but on second thought, forget I mentioned it, it’s really not worth talking about.  A very attractive coin.

1788 Massachusetts half cent. Ryder 1-B. R1. AU50. ZZZ grains. An extremely sharp specimen, though struck on an odd planchet with a notably thin spot just left of 12:00 on the obverse and just left of 6:00 on the reverse. Holding the coin from the edge, the thin spot is plainly visible. Unfortunately from the reverse it means that 178 of the date is not struck up. Light golden brown. A black planchet fleck is embedded in the copper atop the left wing on the reverse. An interesting specimen that also happens to be very high grade and quite attractive.

1787  Massachusetts Cent  Ryder 2b-A R3 F15.  Horned Eagle Type. 146.9 grains.  Slightly grainy but reflective dark chocolate surfaces.  Rim bruised at 9:00 at obverse. Pleasing, with no other significant marks.  With ongoing research now disputing that Fugio Coppers were ever officially designated as cents, Massachusetts Cents now stand alone as the first official cents ever issued anywhere.

1787  Massachusetts Cent  Ryder 2b-A R3 F18.  Horned Eagle Type.  Smooth and glossy surfaces with some faint obverse striae and die rust on the reverse as frequently seen with this issue.  Small reverse rim tics at 5:00 and 8:00.  A warmer brown than typically for a Horned Eagle cent, which usually are a deeper olive in color.  Nice.

1787  Massachusetts Cent  Ryder 3-G R3- VF35 150.0 grains.  Sharply struck on a planchet that is slightly grainy from scattered microscopic porosity.  There are no other problems and overall this is a rather attractive coin.  Toned dark chocolate brown and still reflective.

1787  Massachusetts Cent  Ryder 3-G VF30.   Generally smooth and reflective olive brown surfaces, free of any real problems aside from three small rim bruises on the obverse.   A pleasing coin.

1787  Massachusetts Cent  Ryder 4-C R4- VG10. 141.9 grains.  The “Bowed Head” obverse.  As nice for this grade as anyone has any reasonable right to hope for.  Smooth and very reflective dark brown surfaces.  OK, there’s a faint scratch. Alright maybe two, but c’mon.

1787  Massachusetts Cent  Ryder 6-G  R4- VF20 161.8 grains.  Technically at least 10 points stronger than the assigned grade but with significant areas of matt like porosity etched matt like into the patina across both sides, weakening parts of the legends and design.  Dark olive brown. 

1788  Massachusetts Cent  Ryder 1-D  R3  VF35.  145.9 grains.  A very attractive and generally well struck coin, but it has areas of localized weakness near the rim in parts of the right legends on both sides that weakens several letters.  Glossy chocolate brown with some attractive golden wood grain toning on both sides.  A couple of small ignorable digs on the obverse between the arrow and the legend and otherwise problem free.

1788  Massachusetts Cent  Ryder 1-D  R3  VG8 145.1 grains.  Dark brown and steel gray with scattered microscopic porosity.  Relatively few marks and nearly full legends and date.

1788  Massachusetts Cent  Ryder 3-A  R4-  VF25 160.2 grains.  This coin has technical detail of at least EF but it is too rough to call it that to its face.  Both sides are peppered with moderate to heavy gauge porosity in a more or less even manner.  Dark brown but the detail holds up and it remains moderately reflective, so it has that going for it.

1788  Massachusetts Cent  Ryder 3-A  R4-  VG10 152.4 grains.   Pale chocolate toning, reflective but the planchet has scattered porosity and minor pitting.  Full legends and date.

1788  Massachusetts Cent  Ryder 6-N  R4-  VF35 146.7 gns.   A No Period after Massachusetts Type.  Also a coin that comes with the Ford/Ryder provenance, and not surprisingly, a pleasing example as well.  Smooth glossy chocolate brown surfaces, essentially problem free as well.  A very minor rim bruise found at 7:00 reverse plus there is a short natural horizontal linear flaw on the obverse at the rim above the Indian’s headdress.  That’s about it for possible distractions, and that’s not much.  An attractive coin with an excellent provenance.  Ex John Ford V Collection Stack’s 10/2004 lot #121.

1788  Massachusetts Cent  Ryder 6-N  R4-  EF40 157.7 grains.   A No Period after Massachusetts Type.  A strong coin, stronger than this grade indicates.  Also a problematic coin, more problematic than this grade indicates.  Technically this displays near CC detail but it has numerous moderate rim dents, as well as reflective but grainy very dark brown surfaces with scattered porosity across them. 

1788  Massachusetts Cent  Ryder 7-M  R4+ EF40 148.2 grains.  A relatively smooth and definitely glossy planchet toned a medium olive brown with some ruddy tints, making for an attractive coin.   No nicks or scratches, just  one small area of minor linear striations  by the rim at the upper right obverse.

1788  Massachusetts Cent  Ryder 8-C  F12 R3 156.0 grains.  Dark olive, reflective but very grainy planchet due to pervasive fine porosity, which softens some detail of a higher grade.

1788  Massachusetts Cent  Ryder 10-L  R2  EF40.  166.5 grains.  Actually a strong EF from the standpoint of detail, but with scattered surface problems that would be relatively insignificant if there were less of them.  Toned a deep golden olive and quite glossy, but with minor clusters of small pitting and micro porosity at points on both sides.  Also a moderate rim tic at 7:30 reverse.  This coin though has much still going for it.

1788  Massachusetts Cent  Ryder 10-L  R2  VF30.  Deep tan and medium olive brown toning makes for a pleasing somewhat contrasting effect.  Problem free other than for steady even fine granularity on both sides that is visually offset by the ample gloss this coin displays.   An attractive coin. 

1788  Massachusetts Cent  Ryder 10-L  R2  VF35.  138.0 grains.  Actually sharper but with microscopic roughness on the reverse that becomes scattered fine pitting on the obverse, all under a glossy dark chocolate and olive brown patina.  Small rim bruise at 11:30 obverse.  A nice coin, especially if you value strong details nice color and gloss over perfectly smooth surfaces.

1788  Massachusetts Cent  Ryder 10-L  R2  VF30.  154.7 grains.  A generally smooth and pleasing coin, with a sprinkling of microscopic porosity at points on both sides, more so on the obverse where there are some tiny but recognizable spots where the natural gloss is somewhat interrupted.  On whole quite appealing.

1788  Massachusetts Cent  Ryder 11-C  R5  VF25 148.1 grains.  Warm medium chocolate brown toning with a faint obverse wood grain effect as an added bonus. Glossy and smooth with just a smattering of small fine striae and one small nick hidden by the reverse branch.  In other words, realistically speaking this coin is problem free, and it clearly is pleasing.  Variety collecting of Massachusetts Coppers has lagged behind other State Coppers, but whenever the hobby wakes up it will wake up to find that a nice Ryder 11-C in this grade is not easy to come by.

1788  Massachusetts Cent  Ryder 11-E  R4-  VG8 151.8 grains.  Light chocolate brown with deep tan on some raised points, and both sides have pleasing wood grain streaking.  Highly reflective somewhat roughened surfaces; a combination of roller striae, tiny voids, and some scattered small nicks.  Rim bruised at 1:30 reverse.  Legends virtually full and the date is clear.

1788  Massachusetts Cent  Ryder 11-F  R5-   EF45.   This coin almost was a contender, because through some fluke of nature or cosmic plan high end examples of this variety are extremely hard to find, and if one finds one it almost inevitably has something distracting about the planchet.  The last time I checked with Mike Packard on this (which admittedly was awhile ago) his six coin census for Ryder 11-F contained two AU examples and some EF’s, and not too much has likely changed as nice examples remain abnormally elusive.  You might note that the VF Ford and Ryder plate coin of this variety has a strong X scratch in the right obverse field and a somewhat porous reverse.  When this cataloger formerly collected Massachusetts Coppers I kept both a very pleasing VF and a clearly artificially toned EF for his own collection (see lot #231 from the 1999 C4 Sale to view that VF).  I have never personally viewed a Ryder 11-F above VF that did not have some significant surface problem, which leads us to this coin.  It has consistently sharp details but shallow corrosive patches of microscopic porosity concentrated on the right half of both sides, which makes the surface matte like where present.  Even though nothing penetrates deep into the copper it is distracting even though this coin remains impressive for the variety.  Glossy where untouched by porosity, and predominantly dark brown with some ruddy undertones and a few faint touches of dark green patina in the effected areas on the reverse.  A serious collector should buy this coin; it will be hard to improve on for the variety.

1788  Massachusetts Cent  Ryder 12-I  R4-  VF20 154.9 grains. This is a variety for which grading is based on the reverse plus parts of the obverse center only  Die failure in this muling of this obverse work horse of a die results in legends that are relatively weak even in EF or better grades.  Toned basically light brown but with a speckling of dark toning across both sides.  Fairly smooth and rather glossy, a nice middle grade example of this distinctive variety. Ex M&G C4 Sale 11/1999 lot #232 Ticket included.

1788  Massachusetts Cent  Ryder 13-N  R4+  VF35 165.4 grains.  A No Period after Massachusetts Type.  A nice coin for the most part with detail of a full EF.  At least one part though has a problem, and that part includes much of the lower reverse.  There is some corrosion, with old green and red verdigris inside found in a patch located between the date and olive branch, which then continues along the rim below the date.  To a lesser extent the same is true in an area above the arrows, and some lesser still roughness is found in nearby areas.  What can’t be found on the reverse is the internet (campy pop reference inserted here to drive 22nd century numismatists who someday read this batty – assuming there still are bats then and/or numismatists).  As for the rest of the coin, aside from a small filmy patch of thin verdigris between the top of the bow and the Indian’s shoulder on the obverse, it is pleasing, especially the obverse; being smooth medium brown and reflective. 

1788  Massachusetts Cent  Ryder 16-M  R5+  F12 147.2 grains.  Some details perhaps stronger, and overall this is a pleasing low grade example of this very scarce variety that was not known to Ryder himself.  Dark olive brown and quite glossy, although both sides are finely granular.  A couple of trivial obverse nicks, and a somewhat more noticeable dull shallow scrape on the reverse rising from the rim at 6:30 toward the base of M.  A highly acceptable example of a real toughie.

Pair of Massachusetts Cents.  Includes a 1788 R 3-A in AG3 and another unidentified clunker grading Fair-2.  No dates.  Lot of 2 coins.

1787 New Jersey copper. Maris 6-C. R4. VF25. The Pattern Reverse. ZZZ grains. Glossy light steel brown with ideal surface quality. Aside from a single pinprick nick inside the denticles at 3:00 on the obverse, there are no marks or flaws. The date is bold and the usually-soft obverse is nicely detailed. An excellent quality specimen of this important variety, one whose reverse is married to some of the rarest and most desirable issues in the early American series – the Immunis Columbia / New Jersey mule, the New Jersey Washington Head, and the 1786 Date Under Plowbeam, among others. This coin has a good pedigree too: Ex. Bowers and Merena’s Boyd, Brand, and Ryder sale, March 1990, Lot 1204 with lot ticket, earlier ex. FCC Boyd.

1787  New Jersey  Maris 6-C  R4  G6.  131.3 grains.  Well worn but problem free.

1787 New Jersey. Maris 6-D. R2. VF30. 134.3 grains. A lovely example of this distinctive variety, with smooth and attractive surfaces toned an ideal shade of light steel brown. No significant flaws are present, just the smattering of tiny marks that seem to always be present on obverse 6, undoubtedly present on the planchet and just not struck hard enough to obliterate. Some little marks at the center of the shield are similar, predating striking and not hit hard enough to efface them. A minor planchet striation is seen at the plow handles. This coin is nice enough that it would likely upgrade many specialists.

1787 New Jersey. Maris 6-D  R2 VF25. 142.0 grains. Nice deep steel brown surfaces present a very attractive appearance, smooth to the naked eye if microscopically granular under a glass on the obverse where the striking pressure was not as great on the low relief die. A tiny spot is noted behind the horse head and a short vertical scratch is noted underneath B of PLURIBUS, but other than those truly minor defects this is a problem-free coin.

1786 New Jersey copper. Maris 12-G. R4. No Coulter. VG10.  ZZZ grains. Tan devices stand out from slightly darker fields. Well worn but still showing most everything, including most of the date. Scattered tiny marks befit the grade,  including a tiny nick on the shield and a rim bruise over E of E PLURIBUS UNUM. A few other more minor rim knocks can be seen. Not a bad No Coulter for the grade, a vital major variety for anyone who chooses to own more than one New Jersey copper.

1786  New Jersey  Maris 14-J  R1  AU50.  152.6 grains.  A really remarkable coin with fully Mint State sharpness but some scattered light roughness accounting for the grade as assigned. 80% of the coin is frosty and lustrous light brown with ideal color and surface quality. The entire coin is sharp, well struck and well centered on a high quality planchet. An area at the right side of the obverse shows some very shallow roughness, on top of the planchet rather than incuse pitting. On the reverse, a small area of similar surface corrosion is present under LU or PLURIBUS, a slightly larger area atop the point of the shield, and a bit more in an oval under UNUM. The roughness, while obviously a detriment, does not stand in the way of the cartwheel lustre (which, incidentally, are not words you see terribly often in New Jersey copper catalogue descriptions). A really lovely New Jersey, one which reminds us of the adage “let not perfection be the enemy of the good.” The minor corrosion should not distract from the amazing assets of this coin – it  isn’t perfect, but it is really, really good.

1786 New Jersey. Maris 14-J. R1. F18. 151.4 grains. Nice tan surfaces are mostly glossy, though there are some minor scattered pits on the obverse. Nice full date and legends, especially choice reverse. A spot is noted at the horse’s snout.

1786  New Jersey  Maris 14-J  R1  F15.  139.1 grains. Tan with some deeper mahogany and olive roughness around some design elements. Late die state with a substantial bulge across the plow and into the right obverse field. The date and legends are nice and bold, and the unbulged reverse shows detail that is at least a strong VF.

1786 New Jersey. Maris 14-J. R1. F15. 142.7 grains. Glossy light brown with smooth surfaces. A few scratches run parallel across the plow, otherwise problem free.

1786  New Jersey  Maris 15-L  R3  VG10.  144.2 grains.  Sharper but lightly corroded with a couple rim dents. Dark olive with a dug patina, but no real loss of detail from the roughness. Some raised green specks are present on the reverse.

1786  New Jersey  Maris 15-L  R3  VG8.  143.7 grains.  Sharper but granular.  Ex Jeff Rock-Dennis Wierzba. Even deep olive brown with some gloss despite the surfaces. Nicely centered, most detail quite plain.

1787 New Jersey  Maris 15-u  R5+  F12. 125.7 grains. Light golden steel with some underlying ruddy toning deep within the finely granular surfaces. Good sharpness and complete devices, the hallmark internal cud within the shield readily visible. There is some slightly larger granularity at the plowshare, an old toned horizontal scratch in the right obverse field, and a tiny rim nick over the first U of UNUM, though none of these stands out or is unusual at this grade level. A fine collectible specimen of a rare variety.

1786 New Jersey. Maris 16-L R1. AU55. The Protruding Tongue. 147.5 grains. A glorious example of this variety, with hard medium brown surfaces retaining a remarkable degree of reflective lustre and essentially no wear. The strike and detail are utterly superb, and the eye appeal is breathtaking. The only flaw (and it is a notable one) is a very fine, very light engraved letter “G” in the left obverse field. Were it not for this, this coin would rank as one of the all time great Protruding Tongues. As it is, it’s still not too far off. A gorgeous coin that should be seen to be properly enjoyed. From Bowers and Merena’s sale of the Boyd, Brand, and Ryder Collections, March 1990, Lot 1218 with lot ticket.

1786  New Jersey  Maris 16-L. R1. F12.  148.3 grains. Attractive light brown, faded down from an old light cleaning and now fairly natural in appearance. Some minor vertical striations are seen on the obverse. Tiny mint clip atop obverse. Complete date and legends, quite bold for the grade. The strike is aligned trivially to the right.

1786 New Jersey. Maris 17-b. R2. VF30. 140.4 grains. Struck on a very small, tight planchet. Highly glossy and very attractive dark chocolate brown. The obverse is perfectly centered and well struck, with complete legends and a good readable date. A tiny rim nick is seen at the plow handles. The reverse is shifted a bit left, affecting the tops of E PLU. Some very fine granularity is seen, and remnants of some once more prominent greenish patina is seen only under careful scrutiny near E of E PLURIBUS UNUM and across the bottom half of the shield. A beautiful example of this interesting variety, a die marriage that is tough to find nice (though Ford’s was Unc!) and spawned a group of 18^th century cast counterfeits that had long been counted as unusually small specimens of this struck issue.

1786  New Jersey  Maris 17-k. R4. VF20.  131.7 grains. A very pleasing example of this interesting variety. Glossy and attractive light brown with even and essentially smooth surfaces, Overstruck, like most examples, probably on a Connecticut. There is a little old nick over the plow handles and a few dark spots around the top of the reverse, otherwise problem-free. Well struck for the variety on a nice broad planchet.

1786  New Jersey  Maris 18-J  R5+  F12. Bridle. 137.5 grains. A sharp example of this rare variety, combining the Bridle obverse with the passed-around J reverse. The surfaces are deep chestnut brown, likely retoned but attractive and natural in appearance. Microscopic pitting is present on both sides, with some raised corrosion on the true edge. The detail is good for the grade despite some minor peripheral weakness in the reverse, which is pretty much always softer than the obverse on this die pair. A few little toning spots on the plow blend in.  No bad marks or digs, free of rim bruises, a desirable example of an easily identified yet still elusive variety.

1786 New Jersey. Maris 18-M. R1. VF35. Bridle. 134.3 grains. Highly glossy light brown with hard smooth surfaces. A darker halo around the legends serves to accentuate them. A beautiful coin, free of problems – unless the fact that the reverse is boldly double struck counts. While the obverse is struck just once, and solidly at that, the reverse is clearly doubled with a rotation of a few degrees, visible in each letter of E PLURIBUS UNUM, as well as the outline of the shield and the fine denticles. A most interesting and very attractive specimen, an unusual error. From Bowers and Merena’s sale of the Lindesmith and LaRiviere Collections, November 1999, Lot 155 with lot ticket.

1786  New Jersey  Maris 18-M. R1. VF20. Bridle. 154.2 grains. Nice medium brown with darker mahogany toning around the periphery. Microscopically granular in an inoffensive way, still quite glossy. A couple very minor pinscratches at and below the plow are toned in and tough to see, some powdery green specks at the left side of the reverse. Sharper than the grade assigned, a very well detailed Bridle.

1786  New Jersey  Maris 18-M  R1  VG10. Bridle, pre-bridle.  133.7 grains.  EDS, before the “Bridle” break. At first blush this is a common coin, an R1 variety with moderately granular surfaces. For specialists, however, this is a significant rarity, struck before the classic die break from snout to chest occurred. Golden tan high points are set against deep mahogany and olive fields. Ideal centering and good strike, details likely VF or so if smooth. A very tough coin to find.

1786  New Jersey  Maris 18-N  R5+  F15. Bridle.  143.0 grains.  From our 1995 sale of the Griffee Collection, where it was described as “Technical VF, sharpness grade in most places equivalent. Orange tan and mottled darker tan and brown. Both surfaces quite granular, nicks in obverse field and old flaws on horse’s barrel, but all design details clear and legible. Obverse rim dent below date, rim at 4:00 appears dented but this may simply be a deep flaw. This was Mr. Griffee’s C.C. No. 12 of the 36 he believed survived. Partial “bridle” break on obverse, not yet connected all along its length; reverse perfect.” Ex Jeff Rock FPL #7, 11/19/92:112-John Griffee, 1995 C-4 Sale, lot 34.  Comes with the Griffee signed collection envelope.

1786  New Jersey  Maris 19-M  R5  VF25.  148.9 grains.  Slightly sharper with microscopic roughness under a glossy dark chocolate and steel patina. Quite appealing and even in appearance. No heavy digs or flaws, in fact essentially problem-free aside from the surfaces. Some raised specks of corrosion are noted in front of the horse’s snout and through the front intricacies of the plow. The sharpness is excellent and the date is bold. Denticles frame nearly all of both sides. A handsome and important example of this elusive Maris number, a coin that comes with an extensive provenance.  Ex Hall, Brand, and Bareford Collections, Stack’s sale of the John Foreman Collection, May 1989.. Comes with a Mike Ringo envelope.

1786  New Jersey  Maris 21-N  R2  VF30.  140.8 grains.  When cataloguers write about “hard, glossy surfaces,” this is what they mean – smooth and boldly glossy rich dark chocolate brown surfaces with golden devices standing out in boldly contrasting relief. This coin is significant sharper than the grade indicated and could be called EF with some ease, but the planchet is thinner at the left side of the obverse (right side of the reverse) such that there is little detail in those regions. NO of NOVA and PLU of PLURIBUS are the primary casualties. The obverse shows some fairly extensive but toned over pinscratches in the southwest quadrant, fewer are seen on the reverse and a vertical one atop the shield is the only notable one. Despite these scratches, this is a great looking coin. Ex EAN 8/9/92:74.

1786 New Jersey. Maris 21-O. R-5. F12. 142.1 grains. A tough coin to grade, showing excellent sharpness but clearly a ground find, described in the Taylor sale as having a “rust-colored porous surface,” which is apt. The coin is dry and devoid of gloss, but both sides show detail that is at least that of a high-end VF. Some minor abrasions are seen at the lower left side of the obverse. Despite the surfaces, this is a rare coin. Ex. Bowers and Merena’s Taylor sale, March 1987, Lot 2186; B&M’s Denver sale in June 1987, Lot 2053; Stack’s sale of the Lorenzo Collection in the January 2008 Americana sale, Lot 5665.

1786  New Jersey  Maris 23-P  R3  VF20.  146.0 grains. Attractive light brown with smooth surfaces and excellent eye appeal. Some shallow scratches on the shield are unfortunately rather fresh. Well struck and nicely detailed.

1786 New Jersey. Maris 23-R. R2. AU50. 177.5 grains. Frosty light brown surfaces show thorough lustre that suggests a grade higher than that assigned. The only marks, all tiny and scattered mostly under the horsehead and on the shield, appear to predate striking. Centered a bit to the left, showing a nice arc of oversized denticles to the right but preserving the tiny and usually absent date. A very attractive and very high grade example, easily eclipsing the choice VF in Ford. Flashy and impressive, a real prize.

1786 New Jersey. Maris 23-R. R2. VF35. 143.5 grains. Nice dark chocolate brown with hard glossy surfaces. Ideally centered, with nearly complete denticles around both sides and a good date. A few utterly trivial planchet fissures are seen on the obverse. A very pretty example of this variety, a coin with no problems.

1786 New Jersey. Maris 24-P. R2. EF40. 148.2 grains. Glossy mottled medium brown and mahogany with excellent overall eye appeal. Sharply struck and well centered with denticles complete around both obverse and reverse. Some light fissures are present, including one under first U of UNUM that runs to the rim, and a glass reveals some very fine roughness at the lower obverse that includes some remnant traces of old verdigris. Some mahogany toning spots are present on the reverse. A handsome and sharp specimen of this die marriage. Ex Tom Rinaldo-Roger Siboni.

1786  New Jersey. Maris 24-P. R2. VF35.  162.3 grains. A beautiful example with glossy light brown surfaces. Aside from a spot atop the horse head and a minuscule rim nick at E of E PLURIBUS UNUM, this is about as choice as New Jersey can get. The color and surfaces are really ideal. The date is visible, other details are very strong. A positively lovely coin.

1786  New Jersey  Maris 24-P  R2. VF25.  178.2 grains. Handsome dark chocolate brown with very fine granularity that retains a nice glossy look. Some scattered raised specks of darker patina is visible on the reverse, minor pit on horse head and a nick at the bottom left of the shield. A very tiny rim nick is present over the stop before E of E PLURIBUS UNUM. Sharp and sporting a nice look, a pleasing type coin.  Ex Bowers & Ruddy RCR #93.

1786  New Jersey  Maris 24-R  R5  VG10.  159.5 grains. Smooth light brown toned down from a light old cleaning, now mostly natural in appearance. An attractive piece for the grade with no trace of roughness. A couple of old circulation-era scratches are present under the legend in the right obverse field, sharp dig near rim at about 7:00 on reverse. The obverse is misaligned to precisely 12:00, reverse a little off but less so. Really a pretty good looking example of this very scarce variety.

1786  New Jersey  Maris 25-S  R5+  F12.  125.9 grains.  Sharper but covered with very fine granularity. A decent enough example of this rare and distinctive variety, notable for its oddly asymmetrical small shield. Dark olive with slightly lighter devices. Obverse aligned to 9:00, reverse better centered. All the legends and most of the date are clear.

1786  New Jersey  Maris 26-S  R5  VF20.  128.8 grains.  Sharper with scattered light pitting. A handsome medium brown coin that is mostly smooth. Well struck and ideally centered, approaching EF by details alone. A glass reveals that the pits are a bit green inside and there are some scrapes in the reverse field. Still a desirable example of this challenging variety.

Trio of 1786 New Jersey coppers grading Fair-AG.  One is holed but the date remains readable on two of the three.  Lot of 3 coins.

1787  New Jersey  Maris 28-L  R3  VF20.  141.2 grains. Medium brown and appealing with nearly smooth surfaces and good gloss. Some minor roughness is noted around the reverse legends, and a splash of mahogany toning is present if subtle on the left side of the shield. Ideally centered, very minor rim nicks at 6:00 and 10:00 on the reverse. A good looking coin. Ex 1985 ANA Auction, lot 11.

1787  New Jersey  Maris 28-L  R3  VG10.  149.0 grains. Medium and golden brown over finely granular surfaces. Lightly cleaned once upon a time, now quite natural in appearance.

1787  New Jersey  Maris 30-L  R3  VF20.  Double Struck.  146.6 grains.  Pleasing medium brown with some subtle deep ruddy tones. Finely granular, more so on the obverse than reverse, but appealing and retain good gloss. A neat double strike with just a degree or two of rotation, leaving all design elements and legends looking a bit chattered, more notably on the reverse than obverse but obviously so on both sides. A nice looking cool with an interesting error.

1787  New Jersey  Maris 31-L  R2  F15.  151.5 grains. A fascinating piece showing an extremely late die state. Even tan on finely granular surfaces, maybe cleaned once long ago but not bright or cleaned in an obvious way. Obverse broken in two spokes, one stretching from center to 5:00, the other to below 9:00, similar to the Barnes, Griffee, and 1991 Ford duplicates.  Nicely centered and well detailed, just a few little reverse rim nicks.

Three Jerseys with problems worse than wear: Maris 32-T. R1. VF35. A nice sharp piece with even granularity . The color is a nice mahogany, but there is a dig at central reverse and a couple minor rim nicks. Maris 46-e. R1. VG7. Sharper but heavily striated and granular. Very late die state. Maris 53-j. R3. VG10. Sharper, but granular and striated. Details are still nearly all visible. Lot of 3 coins.

1787  New Jersey  Maris 33-U  R4+  VF20.  127.3 grains. A very pleasing example with dark chocolate brown fields and medium brown design elements. Very minor granularity is seen under a glass; gloss is seen without. Obverse aligned to 10:00 with the die edge visible below 3:00. The date and legends are complete and bold, detail in general is excellent for the grade assigned. A little rim bruise over AES of CAESAREA and a dig below 17 of the date are noted, though the only field mark worth mentioning is a tiny dig under AE above the horse head. Handsome and more desirable than the vast majority of the survivors of this die marriage.

1787  New Jersey  Maris 33-U  R4+  VG7.  137.8 grains.  Sharper but lightly corroded with a few fine scratches on the obverse. Dark brown and olive with some reverse scale. A grounder, but pretty well detailed and quite scarce.

1787 New Jersey. Maris 34-J. R3. VF25. 115.8 grains. From our 11^th C4 sale in November 2005, where we described it as: “Overstruck on an unattributed Connecticut with elements from both sides still visible below the New Jersey details. Quite attractive, light brown, smooth and glossy and problem free. All New Jersey legends and the date are full and clear despite the undertype’s presence.” It’s nice to see this piece again – it’s still a very pretty Deer Head with unusually nice surfaces. From the above mentioned sale, lot 294.

1787 New Jersey. Maris 34-J. R3. VF20. Deer Head. 119.2 grains. Glossy medium brown with very pleasing eye appeal. Overstruck, though the undertype is uncertain and only peeks out in a couple spots on the reverse. Some planchet striations cross the bottom half of the shield. Some scattered marks, little rim scuff at 11:00 on the obverse, short scratch on the plow. A pretty nice Deer Head, with good sharpness and a better than usual planchet.

1787  New Jersey  Maris 34-J  R3  F15. Deer Head. 141.7 grains. Technically finer, but the reverse is weakened in this late die state. Attractive mottled medium brown, more smooth and glossy on the obverse than the reverse, which is finely granular. The obverse is bulged and shows the substantial cud from plow to edge that takes out the 8 of the date. There are a few obverse pits and some old short scratches atop the shield. A good looking Deer Head with a cool die state.

1787  New Jersey  Maris 34-J  R3  VG7. Deer Head.  130.2 grains. Granular medium brown with some horizontal striations across the reverse. Most of the reverse legends are obscured, but the obverse is well detailed for the grade.

1787  New Jersey  Maris 37-J  R5  VG8. Goiter.  161.4 grains.  Light golden brown, toned down from an old cleaning. Smooth and reasonably well detailed, particularly at centers, though the left obverse is quite soft. The goiter is bold.

1787  New Jersey  Maris 37-J  R5  G6. Goiter.  128.3 grains.  Overstruck over an uncertain undertype, with an extra O at NOVA and some undertype above the shield. Medium steel with fairly rough surfaces that are neither corroded or granular, just uneven. A very interesting specimen.

1787  New Jersey  Maris 37-Y  R4  AG3. Goiter.  112.2 grains. Dark brown and tan, glossy despite some granularity and the occasional striation. Obverse sharper than reverse and showing a good goiter.

1787  New Jersey  Maris 37-f  R4  VF20. Goiter.  160.9 grains. A lovely and sharp specimen of this variety, perhaps worthy of a higher grade than the grade assigned. Choice tan with handsome gloss. There is an area of shallow pitting over NOVA on the obverse, but that side is otherwise beautiful. The reverse also shows excellent eye appeal, great color and sharpness, with just localized areas of minor roughness. The central shield is bulged in this die state. A unusually nice example of this variety.

1787  New Jersey  Maris 37-f  R4  VG10. Goiter. 167.2 grains. Well centered and fairly well detailed for the grade, with medium brown surfaces showing some darker olive scale around devices. A little scrape is seen under the plow at the left of the date. More evenly sharp at peripheries than often seen, a good looking example at this grade level.

1787 New Jersey copper. Maris 38-Y. R3. VF20. ZZZ grains. Deep mahogany glossy fields contrast with lighter brown devices. Some very minor surface roughness is noted on the left side of the reverse, less consequential elsewhere though there is a tiny area of raised scale over the horsehead. Good sharpness, full date and legends. Tiny mint clip left of the date, little rim scrap at bottom of reverse. The date on this obverse is distinctive and is punch linked to such things as Ryder 12 and Ryder 14 in the Vermont series.

1787 New Jersey. Maris 38-Y. R3. F15. 158.6 grains. Medium brown with tan devices and a problem-free appearance. Very finely granular but still pleasing and glossy. Some minor striking weakness in upper right of shield.

1787  New Jersey  Maris 38-Y  R3.  VG10. 130.3 grains. Nice medium brown with consistent planchet striations on both sides that do not negatively affect the eye appeal. Struck a few degrees off center to 11:00 on the obverse, equally off-center on the reverse to 7:00 with the die edge showing opposite. Little rim nick under the left side of the date is unimportant.

Garden State Trio: Maris 39-a. R2. VG7. Cleaned and retoned, mostly unnatural orange. Maris 46-e. R1. VG7. Glossy tan and black with scattered pitting. Maris 64-t. R1. F15. Sharper, but granular, with mottled light brown and dark olive. Lot of 3 coins.

1787  New Jersey  Maris 40-b  R5+  G4. The Llama Head.  147.8 grains. One of the more interesting head types in the series, one we’ve called the Llama Head for its distinctive shape. This one is medium brown with moderately granular surfaces. There is an area of black scale across the snout, prominent in color but thin enough to show the detail beneath it. The central devices and PLURIBUS are bold. A very collectible specimen of this rarity.

1787  New Jersey  Maris 43-Y  R4+  VF35.  149.9 grains. An important piece, the finest 43-Y Fred Boyd found to purchase in decades of collecting. Pleasing medium brown surfaces are largely smooth and glossy but for some very shallow black patina around the obverse that does not badly affect the eye appeal. Well centered and mostly well struck, though there is an arc of weakness around the bottom obverse periphery and the opposite area atop the reverse. No serious flaws, though some deep reddish toning on reverse is probably an ancient artifact of some dirt removal from before the era when Boyd acquired this piece. Scarce overall and very rare better than this. Ex F. C. C. Boyd-John J. Ford, Stack’s 10/14/03:153 with lot ticket

1787 New Jersey. Maris 43-d. R1. AU55. 158.9 grains. Like some lead character in Shakespeare, this coin is magnificent but has a fatal flaw. Both sides are a pleasing woodgrained medium brown, finely striated under a glass but very handsome and glossy nonetheless. One striation ends with a tiny flaw at the rim over A of NOVA. The detail is remarkable, perhaps fully Mint State. On the reverse, however, there is a pretty substantial nick that may have been caused by a shovel, dominating the field left of the shield. The coin is lovely and sharp and desirable, but it has a nick which is kind of big.

1787 New Jersey. Maris 43-d. R1. (NGC AU50). EF40. Pleasing glossy light brown with some attractive woodgrain toning. Some minor marks but nothing serious, a nice type coin.

1787  New Jersey  Maris 43-d  R1  VG10.  154.9 grains. Even and extremely fine granularity has toned to an even near-black patina. Very sharp and fairly pleasing.

 

1787  New Jersey  Maris 43-d  R1  G6.  Clipped Planchet.  137.7 grains. Medium brown with good gloss despite scattered striations and some occasional pits. Clipped right of the date. Far more pleasing than it sounds.

1787  New Jersey  Maris 45-d  R5+  F12.  145.1 grains. An interesting specimen of this rare variety. Ideally centered on the obverse but aligned to 6:00 on the reverse, leaving a raised rim above the die edge near 12:00. Medium brown with fine granularity on both sides. There are two gold-colored areas on the shield, likely thin patina. Two scratches are noted at the upper left of the shield, one cutting through URIB. The legends are complete and the devices are fairly strong, with prominent die swelling at the plow handles from the advanced die state. A pleasing example of a variety missing from many advanced collections.

1787 New Jersey copper. Maris 46-e. R1. VF30. ZZZ grains. Highly glossy and very attractive dark chocolate brown with ideal hard surfaces. The obverse shows the usual mushy detail from severe die clashing, though the date is still visible. The reverse is very sharp, sharper than the grade assigned, with slightly darker toning at periphery than at center. A handsome New Jersey type coin with no problems.

1787  New Jersey  Maris 46-e  R1  F18.  149.8 grains. Choice light brown with ideal smooth surfaces. Only a tiny little rim nick at 9:00 on the reverse is worth noting. Very nice for the grade.

A pleasing but worn New Jersey trio: Maris 46-e. R1. F15. Attractive and smooth medium brown, just a little pit at the base of the shield. Maris 63-q. R1. AG3. Perfectly smooth and choice, with a surprising amount of detail and surprising lack of defects for the grade. Maris 63-s. R1. VG7. Smooth chocolate brown, a very nice coin for the grade but for several rim bruises. Lot of 3 coins.

1787 New Jersey. Maris 48-f. R4. VF25. 152.8 grains. Nice glossy dark chocolate brown with excellent eye appeal. Bold detail on both sides, far finer than usually seen. The obverse shows some trivial striations that avoid affecting the detail, while the reverse is just microscopically granular with striations that are more minor still. Really a problem-free specimen of this die marriage. From Stack’s Americana sale of January 2001, Lot 197 with lot ticket.

1787 New Jersey. Maris 48-f. R4. F12. 147.3 grains. Sharpness near VF but on a striated and somewhat granular planchet. Light brown devices and darker brown fields. Pretty sharp and well centered, though the date isn’t visible. A variety that is tough to find nice.

1787 New Jersey. Maris 48-g. R1. EF45. 155.9 grains. Boldly detailed, probably technically AU or even better, but significantly striated throughout on both obverse and reverse. A remarkably sharp piece despite its flawed planchet, a real arm’s length Unc.

1788 New Jersey. Maris 49-f. R5. F15+. Head Left. 150.9 grains. A sharp and impressive specimen, with the horse head in bold relief and showcasing fine detail. The planchet is striated across the obverse, more so at bottom than top though one fissure affects C of CAESAREA. The legends are complete and the date is bold. The reverse is evenly struck and shows full legends, though the granularity is fairly thorough and includes some larger planchet pits in the shield. Head Lefts are not regularly struck on glossy perfect planchets, of course, and this one actually stands out as an attractive and very desirable one.

1788 New Jersey. Maris 49-f. R5. VG8. Head Left. ZZZ grains. A choice circulated example of this rare and popular Head Left. Glossy light brown with essentially smooth surfaces. Well centered, full legends and even a full date, despite a substantial mint clip at precisely 6:00. Another tiny clip is noted just right of 12:00. Aside from some insignificant old scratches left of the shield, this is about as perfect as they get at this grade.

1788 New Jersey. Maris 50-f. R2. F18. Head Left. 152.8 grains. Attractive light brown with excellent eye appeal and sharp details that suggest VF in many areas. The obverse is ideally centered and bold, despite the usual scattered striations and minor granularity. An arc of die swelling looms behind the horse head and a crack echoes it from EA of CAESAREA to the right side of the date. The reverse shows a vertical fissure at the center of the shield and some fine granularity, but it remains sharp and glossy with full legends and good detail. A couple of old harmless digs are noted below E of the reverse legend. A handsome Head Left and an ideal type coin, a Jersey that just plain looks nice in hand.

1788  New Jersey  Maris 50-f  R2  F15.  Head Left.  156.9 grains.  Sharper by a considerable margin, really a nice VF coin, but showing a heavy bar-like countermark or stamp behind the horse’s mane. Nice dark steel brown, a very attractive tone, with only very minor striations on the obverse. The reverse striations are bit more noticeable, especially at the top of the shield, but still are pretty minor. The strike is bold and the detail is excellent, and the relatively early die state leaves the obverse with only a very small bulge behind the head. No bad marks are noted other than a small dig to the left side of the shield. The horse head is in bold relief, making this an excellent type coin, and one with an interesting pedigree. Ex Kessler/Spangenberger sale, NASCA 4/29/81:2300.

1787 New Jersey. Maris 52-i. R3. VF30. 141.9 grains. Glossy and smooth medium brown with excellent eye appeal. Choice for the grade with no bad surface marks, just a couple of very tiny rim ticks, including one left of 12:00 on the obverse and another at 5:00 on the reverse. Sharp enough to suggest EF to some and pretty nice for even fussy collectors to like it.

1787 New Jersey. Maris 52-i. R3. VF20. 143.8 grains. Glossy light brown with smooth surfaces. An appealing coin with just minor abrasions consistent with the grade.

1787  New Jersey  Maris 52-i  R3  F12.  132.3 grains. Golden tan devices contrast with deep brown and olive fields. Fairly granular throughout, rougher on reverse than obverse. Obverse aligned to 5:00 enough that the last date digit is off the planchet, top of reverse legend similarly affected.

1787  New Jersey  Maris 53-j  R3+  VG10.  152.2 grains. Microscopically granular dark brown with a lighter brown horse head, offering nice contrast for the grade. All legends are complete and the date is barely on the planchet. A very collectible coin.

 

1787  New Jersey  Maris 54-k  R3  VF35.  Serpent Head. Ragged Edge Clip.  87.6 grains. A splendid Serpent Head, featuring rich medium brown surfaces with gentle and attractive woodgraining. The surfaces are almost entirely hard and smooth, unusual for a Serpent, and the detail is about as bold as one could hope for. Even NOVA, which is so often weak on this die marriage, is fully struck. This variety tends to be crudely struck, and the struck areas of this coin far surpass the norm in terms of quality and appeal. As if to confirm the crude status of this contemporary counterfeit issue, even the most lovely Serpents must have some natural flaw – and this one has a large ragged clip from 1:00 to 3:00 on the obverse rim, affecting a few letters there and M of UNUM. The reverse shows a few minor striations aside. A fascinating coin, the exception that proves the rule, a lovely and sharp 54-k that still tells the story of their crudity and the low-quality, low-weight planchets that enabled their manufacturers to profit.

1787 New Jersey copper, Maris 54-k. R3. EF45. The Serpent Head. ZZZ grains. An extremely sharp specimen of this popular and distinctive variety, perhaps fully AU by technical detail, but evenly granular. The surfaces are deep olive, mostly mattelike with some hints of gloss, surfaces most associated with burial but more pleasing than most ground finds. The centering is shifted towards the left, leaving NOVA weak, as often seen. The date is complete. A tiny mint clip is noted left of 12:00. One of the sharpest Serpent Heads around, a coin that would be a star attraction if it were smooth and glossy but still very desirable.

1787  New Jersey  Maris 55-l  R5  AG3.  PLURIRUS variety.  143.8 grains. Two tone tan and chocolate surfaces show thorough granularity throughout. Most design elements are visible, though none are complete. Still, this is a tough variety.

1787  New Jersey  Maris 56-n  R1  VF30. Camel Head. 119.0 grains. An extremely sharp specimen, probably worthy of EF on details alone, but with a glossy deep olive patina from burial. The patina is attractive, something that would bring a premium on a Roman sestertius. Some raised corrosion is visible on the obverse in the intricacies of the plow. There are traces of undertype visible within the shield on the reverse. An appealing and high grade piece that looks very nice in hand.

1787  New Jersey  Maris 56-n  R1  VF25. Camel Head.  92.3 grains.  Overstruck on what appears to be a counterfeit English-type halfpenny, with the bust truncation and cuirass visible atop the reverse when that side is viewed upside down. Very sharp and well detailed, fairly well centered on the tight planchet. Finely granular on both sides but quite attractive, with an even medium steel brown color. A little patch of corrosion is visible near the reverse rim at 4:00. A neat example of this popular variety.

1787  New Jersey  Maris 56-n  R1  F15. Camel Head.  Struck over Counterfeit English Halfpenny.  85.6 grains. An impressive example of the popular Camel Head, boldly overstruck on a very light weight English-type halfpenny. The surfaces are smooth, glossy, and an extremely pleasing shade of chocolate brown. The tiny undertype planchet is too small to accommodate the date, though a bit of the undertype’s date, as well as a double exergual line, is visible atop the obverse. The only post-striking defects are a couple of old digs at NU of UNUM. A 56-n of this quality is obviously very desirable, but so is one with abundant identifiable undertype. This one gets high marks on both counts.

1787  New Jersey  Maris 56-n  R1  F15. Camel Head.  176.8 grains. Camel Heads come in all sizes. The two preceding examples are skinny ones, under 100 grains and struck on tight planchets. This one, however, is a leviathan, the Andre the Giant of Camel Heads. This one weighs more than a post-1795 large cent. It’s tough to say what the undertype is, as very little that was in circulation in 1787-89 actually weighed this much. There are some traces of the host within the shield and under UNUM, but not enough for us to identify. The surfaces are light brown and finely granular, still very pleasing in hand. A tiny rim bruise is noted at the base of the reverse. For those who collect Camel Heads with a special intensity, this may be a good representative for the chubby end of the weight continuum.

1787  New Jersey  Maris 56-n  R1  F12. Camel Head.  Struck over CT.  119.5 grains. Some 56-ns make us study them forever to figure out what they were struck on (though Mike Ringo used to be able to puzzle out just about any undertype). This one makes it easy on us: CONN is seemingly advertised right at 12:00 on the obverse. Finely granular but glossy black and tan, well centered on the broad host. A number of nicks and pits are present at the top half of the obverse and the right side of the reverse is a bit rougher than other regions. Still sharper than the grade assigned, a very worthwhile example.

1787  New Jersey  Maris 56-n  R1  VG10. Camel Head.  Struck over 1788 CT.  112.9 grains. A very interesting “1787” New Jersey, with a bold 1788 date visible atop UNUM on the reverse from what looks to be Connecticut reverse D. A wealth of host detail remains on the reverse, including essentially the entire seated figure, though little remains on the obverse. The coin is slightly granular, evenly on the reverse though more localized on the obverse, and sports mostly medium brown color though areas of the obverse are smooth light brown. The date and legends are full on the capacious planchet, and a tiny mint clip at 6:00 on the obverse misses the date entirely. An interesting coin that teaches far more about the 56-n marriage than a high grade specimen with only minor undertype.

1787  New Jersey  Maris 56-n  R1  G5. Camel Head  89.2 grains. A final entry in our caravan of Camel Heads, a well worn piece that is ideally centered on a skimpy little thin planchet. Smooth dark brown with a dig at central obverse and a little pitting on the shield. The date is complete and bold. Camel Heads this smooth and this worn are unusual.

1787 New Jersey. Maris 58-n. R4+. VF35. Camel Head. 107.2 grains. An important and well-pedigreed specimen of this famous and scarce variety. Pleasing light brown surfaces are smooth and attractive, though some underlying brightness suggests a light cleaning eons ago. Overstruck on a Connecticut with a good bit of undertype visible on the reverse, including legends and some of the central device in the shield. Sharply detailed and well struck, no major flaws though we note a thin fissure that runs vertically up the middle of the date into the plow. A beautiful piece. Ex Hall and Brand Collections, Harold Bareford, Stack’s sale of the Bareford Collection, May 1984, Lot 189; Stack’s Coin Galleries sale of April 1999, Lot 2070 with lot ticket.

1787  New Jersey  Maris 58-n  R4+  VG10. Camel Head.  87.7 grains.  Very late die state with the full diagonal bisecting crack across the obverse. A skinny little 58-n, undoubtedly overstruck though no signs of the undertype are prominent. Nice glossy dark chocolate brown. The planchet is ovoid, leaving the tops of NOVA off the flan but allowing some rather big denticles to dominate the bottom of the obverse. An old corrosion spot is noted under the plow handles. A few sharp but ancient digs are seen, one on the obverse right in the crotch of the plow and a couple others at the top of the shield on the reverse. Well detailed for the grade assigned.. An interesting and attractive example of this variety.

1787 New Jersey. Maris 60-p. R4. VF20. PLURIBS. 155.9 grains. A remarkably choice coin for the grade, a perfectly nice Pluribs. Rich dark chocolate brown surfaces are glossy and essentially smooth, very easy on the eyes. The strike is perfectly centered and quite bold, with excellent detail gracing both sides. A few little scratches under the plow tip are noted, some where the shadow of a spot can just barely be made out. Beautiful and broad, a specimen to be cherished.

1787 New Jersey. Maris 61-p. R5+. VF25. PLURIBS. 155.8 grains. A well-known and high grade specimen of the rarer PLURIBS New Jersey, pedigreed to the 1987 Taylor sale and acclaimed as the seventh finest known. Attractive medium steel brown with lighter devices over fine granularity. Well struck and well centered. Some very minor old scratches are seen on the shield, no other post-striking flaws noted aside from some gentle circulation. This would be tough to improve upon. Ex. Bowers and Merena’s Taylor sale, March 1987, Lot 2257.

1787  New Jersey  Maris 62-q  R1  F15.  142.4 grains.  A really choice specimen for the grade. In fact, were it not for a minor and natural solitary pit on the horse’s neck, we might even use a word that is rarely applied to New Jerseys: perfect. Gorgeous smooth chocolate brown. Early die state, before any die cracks on either side. A glorious specimen at this grade range. Ex. Mike Ringo in April 1989 with his envelope.

1787 New Jersey. Maris 63-q. R1. F12. 140.7 grains. Nice glossy medium brown with good eye appeal. The date is full and the details are strong, but the reverse is a bit granular and shows a smattering of pits in the lower right. A handsome Large Planchet nonetheless.

1787  New Jersey  Maris 63-s  R1  F15.  135.7 grains. Dark chocolate brown with lighter brown devices on finely granular surfaces. Fairly problem free, just a little rim nick under the date and a little concentration of microscopic pits at the first U of PLURIBUS. A perfectly nice Large Planchet type coin.

1787  New Jersey  Maris 63-s  R1  F15.  148.6 grains. A well-detailed piece, perhaps VF by sharpness. The fields are microscopically granular, dark chocolate and olive. Some minor little marks, but only a couple little cuts on the rim left of the date need to be mentioned. A little subtle area of roughness at the plow handles is very easily overlooked.

1787  New Jersey  Maris 64-t  R1  F15.  138.7 grains. A nice light brown specimen with nearly smooth surfaces. A rim bruise right of the date is tough to see, though one on the reverse over L of PLURIBUS is a bit more prominent. A short cut is noted over the horse’s eye. A good looking piece at this grade, nicely detailed and showing good color.

1788 New Jersey. Maris 65-u. R4. (PCGS XF45).  EF40. An important example of this very scarce variety that comes with a long and impressive provenance. Glossy dark mahogany brown surfaces show a variety of small and unusual planchet flaws, as often seen on this variety. The planchet is cracked from the rim through the second E of CAESAREA, but other less notable little flaws include a natural pit at US of PLURIBUS. The detail is superb, perhaps technically even finer than EF. As Mike Hodder noted in the Ford catalogue, “despite these seeming defects this piece shows more central sharpness than almost any other 65-u seen, including the best seen by the cataloguer, a Choice VF.” This piece was better struck and sharper than the other Ford coin, which happened to come from Parmelee. This one has a provenance that is equally sophisticated: from Henry Chapman’s sale of the George Parsons Collection, June 1914, Lot 294; Hillyer Ryder to FCC Boyd; Stack’s sale of the Ford Collection, October 2003, Lot 207. The Ford ticket and Ryder’s small handwritten ticket accompany this lot.

1788  New Jersey  Maris 65-u  R4  VG7.  158.8 grains.  Late die state, with the central obverse bulged and lacking in detail. The crack from rim to the plow handles is prominent. Complete legends and date, somewhat granular medium brown surfaces. Planchet fissured at left side of shield and on edge above S of CAESAREA that also manifests on the reverse.

1787 New Jersey. Maris 67-v. R1. F18. 139.8 grains. Pleasing even dark brown, glossy despite fine granularity. A handsome piece with only a minor old diagonal reverse scratch across the shield to mention.

1788  New Jersey  Maris 67-v  R1  VG8.  138.2 grains. Mottled deep brown and mahogany with slightly lighter devices. A planchet flaw is notable from the rim at the left side of the date, and some scattered pits frame the reverse periphery.

1787 New Jersey  Maris 68-w  R5  G5.  129.7 grains.  Light brown with slightly roughened surfaces. The legends are essentially complete and the oddly diminutive shield is fairly well detailed. A dull dent is noted at central obverse. Good color, a bit sharper than the grade assigned.

1787 New Jersey. Maris 72-z. R6-. VG7. 73.8 grains. A really interesting specimen, struck on a paper thin planchet that somehow still allows for a good bit of detail on both sides. The surfaces are nearly black and matte with fine granularity and a few little areas of scaly patina, suggesting a ground provenance. No undertype is seen, though many specimens of this die marriage are overstruck (unsurprisingly, the variety this is date punchlinked to – Maris 56-n – is usually overstruck too). The centering is shifted a bit right, limiting the legend on that side. Not a pretty coin, but not an undesirable one either. It’s rare and readily identifiable as a 72-Z from arm’s length. From Stack’s sale of the Lorenzo Collection, January 2008 Americana sale, Lot 5741.

1788  New Jersey  Maris 75-bb  R4  G4.  Running Fox type.  129.8 grains. Dark steel brown with scattered roughness. A long vertical planchet lamination dominates the left side of the obverse, and a partial drillhole is present atop that side. Good bold date and horsehead, nice color.

1788 New Jersey  Maris 77-dd  R2  VG10.  Running Fox type.  143.6 grains. A bit sharper, but finely granular on the dark steel surfaces. Some scattered ticks are seen at the plow, but the obverse is nicely detailed. An area at NOVA is a bit soft, which unfortunately translates to the fox area on the reverse. The fox remains visible if not especially bold. A couple little rim nicks are noted at the bottom of the reverse. A pleasing enough coin with sharpness of VF or nearly so.

1788 New Jersey. Maris 77-dd. R2. VG10. Running Fox type. 147.2 grains. Sharpness near VF but the devices are a bit rosy from light cleaning. The fields are a finely granular olive tone, suggesting burial. The obverse is bolder than the reverse, but the fox is still mostly visible.

“1788” New Jersey “whatsit”made from 1786 Maris 20-N  VF30.  147.7 grains. A classic and attractive “whatsit,” a class avidly collected by New Jersey specialists. The obverse is heavily worked, and the chased fields are a smooth and glossy tan. The horsehead looks a little maniacal or maybe drunk. The plow has been left alone, more or less, but the legends and (obviously) the date have seen a good bit of work. The reverse is natural.   Ex Frederick B. Taylor, B & M 3/26/87:2290, with lot ticket, one of only two Jersey Whatsits in that collection. It brought $49.50 at the time, but will likely sell for a bit more today.

Trio of New Jersey coppers.  Includes 1786 M14-J G6, 1786 M15-J AG3, and 1787 M28-L G5.  Date is clear on the first, faint on the other 2.  Lot of 3 coins.

Trio of New Jersey coppers.  Includes 1786 M15-J G4, 1787 M31-L AG3, and 1787 M43-d G5.  Date readable on the third, faint on the other 2.  Lot of 3 coins.

Pair of New Jersey coppers.  Includes 1787 M6-D Basal State-1 and 1787 M43-d AG3.  The date is gone on the first, readable on the second, which is much sharper but is granular.  Lot of 2 coins.

Trio of New Jersey coppers.  Includes M43-d G5, M46-e AG3, and M48-g VG7.  All are slightly sharper with defects.  The date is gone on the second, readable on the other 2.  Lot of 3 coins.

Group of 7 New Jersey coppers grading Fair to Good.  Some are sharper with defects.  Four of the seven have a readable date.  Lot of 7 coins.

Group of 7 New Jersey coppers grading Fair to AG.  Three have a readable date.  Lot of 7 coins.

Group of 6 New Jersey coppers, all culls.  They are Jersey’s, and that’s all you can say.  Lot of 6 coins.

1785  Vermont  Ryder-2  R2  EF45.  VERMONTS type.  133.7 grains.  Very little if any actual wear but the surfaces display even and very fine roughness across them, which includes some moderate planchet striations on the obverse.  Small portions of both the obverse and reverse legends are not fully struck up, including the E of VERMONTS.  Most of the legends however appear bold as to be expected of this grade, the date is full and sharp.  Medium golden olive with pleasing darker shadowing at points.  Though imperfect, it is very rare to find any VERMONTS Landscape with detail approaching this coin’s, or even one this well centered and complete   Middle Die State, the funnel break has not yet blossomed up through the plow but a thin die break runs from the rim up to it.

1785  Vermont  Ryder-2  R2  EF40.  VERMONTS type.  Another exceptional example of this important Vermont Type that typically is seldom found in this high and nice a condition.  Smooth almost satiny chocolate brown surfaces over the vast majority of this coin.  Where that isn’t the case it is not because of porosity or other environmental damage, rather incomplete striking leaving some raw planchet surface characteristics in place.  That is what causes the V and NT of VERMONTS to break up causing those letters to either by missing or unclear.  The same is true for the last letter of DECIMA on the reverse, while the D there strikes weakly.  Middle Die State with a thin die crack only rising from the rim to the base of the plow.

1785  Vermont  Ryder-2  R2  VG8.  VERMONTS type.  116.2  grains.  Late die state. Chocolate brown and rough with some toned obverse scratches.  Full clear date but left obverse and all reverse legends very weak at best.  But of interest for the late obverse die state with the widening break rising up through the plow into the field above.

1785  Vermont  Ryder-2  R2  F12.  VERMONTS type.  123.9 grains.  Late die state.

1785  Vermont  Ryder-2  R2  VG7.  VERMONTS type.  114.1 grains.  E-MDS.

1785 Vermont. Ryder-4. R5. VF30. VERMONTIS type. 125.0 grains. A very sharp example of this scarce major Landscape variety. Both sides are ideally centered and show a wealth of detail, with just a localized area of peripheral weakness near 12:00 on the obverse that also affects S of STELLA. Some planchet fissures are present, with the batch at the upper right side of the obverse being most notable. Both sides are a deep brown with some darker patina at periphery, slightly mattelike and suggesting that some corrosion may have been deftly removed in some areas. Any Vermontis with this much detail and this kind of eye appeal is a desirable property.

          1786 Vermont Ryder-6 R2  EF40.  VERMONTENSIUM type.  117.1 gns. This coin is lot 392 from our 11/2000 C4 Sale where we described it as: Hard light golden brown surfaces. Struck off center low on obverse so only the very top of date is visible. ONTENSIUM RES PUBL is fully on the flan, the other letters partial due to that centering, VER mostly off. The surfaces of this coin are near perfect for this issue with the exception of a deep flaw just below the sun and mountains, and striations at the left obverse rim that weaken N and M of VERMONTENSIUM.  Sun and mountains are crisp, as is all the detail on the much better centered reverse. Obverse early die state without V failure rising through plow.  Ex M&G 11/2000 C4 Sale lot 392 ticket included.

1786  Vermont  Ryder-6  R2  VF20.  VERMONTENSIUM type.  121.8 grains.  Sharper still but covered with fine very shallow roughness under a glossy dark olive and steel patina.  Perfectly centered obverse with full clear legends and date.  The reverse, as frequently seen with this die, has areas of weakness in part of the rays extending into CIMA of the legend, which remains readable other than the “I”.  Problem free other aside from the roughness.  Overall very attractive.  Late die state.

1786 Vermont. Ryder-7. R3. VF25. VERMONTENSIUM type. 102.7 grains. A superb type coin for the grade, ideally centered and completely struck. The obverse shows 100% of the denticles around the periphery, and the legends are likewise fully present (which is something of a feat for a Landscape). The reverse is nearly as perfectly struck, with only MA of DECIMA showing weakness. The surfaces are pleasing tan with some darker toning at peripheries, very attractive and showing granularity only under a glass. A showpiece type coin for the grade.

1786  Vermont  Ryder-8  R4  VF35.  VERMONTENSIUM type.  Clipped Planchet.  118.1 grains.  A lovely coin with a dramatic straight clip from 11:30 to 1:30 obverse that magically does not disturb the legends on a coin centered well enough to include a strong full date on the planchet.  All of the legends are full and clear on this coin, though a planchet flaw shaves the crossbars off of the  second E,  and there are no areas of localized weakness – all design features here are well presented.  There is a small but unobtrusive planchet void at the center of the obverse.  Lovely and even chocolate brown toning on surfaces that are smooth and glossy.  This coin is almost as strong as the Ryder 8 that was called “Condition Census” in Ford and it can rival most examples found in the finest of Vermont collections. 

1786  Vermont  Ryder-8  R4  VF20.  VERMONTENSIUM type.  Another pleasing example on a rather choice planchet, dark olive flawless and problem free with smooth and glossy surfaces.  Unevenly struck, with significant weakness in most of PUBLICA on the obverse legend and in DECIMA on the reverse legend the most obvious result of that.

1786  Vermont  Ryder-8  R4  VF25.  VERMONTENSIUM type. 106.6 grains.  Medium brown and quite smooth where unflawed. On the obverse the flaws are minimal and isolated voids in the mountains, of little consequence.  Voids found on reverse are more numerous and in some cases slightly larger, about 5 or 6 in total.  Struck low on the obverse with the lower half of the date missing, and the tops of a few letters in PUBLICA clipped.  Otherwise all the legends are bold and full, though the central strike is weaker.

1786 Vermont. Ryder-9. R4. F18. Baby Head. ZZZ grains. A very nicely detailed Baby Head, with complete legends (except for AU of AUCTORI, which you can probably live without) and a nice full date. The planchet is a bit thinner at the bottom of the obverse and the top of the reverse, causing some softness in those areas. A little straight clip is seen just right of 12:00 on the obverse. Brassy golden tan with fairly nice surfaces, just a little granular under a glass. A handsome and well defined Baby Head, one of the real classics of the state coinages.

1786  Vermont  Ryder-9  R3  VG10.  Baby Head.  108.2 grains.  Sharper but covered with fine granularity that dulls the surfaces, and there are a few small planchet voids on both sides.

1786  Vermont  Ryder-9  R3  VG8.  Baby Head.  110.5 grains.  Ex Tom Rinaldo 5/11/90.

1786  Vermont  Ryder-11  R4  F15  Bust Left type.  126.4 grains.  An above average example with smoother and glossier surfaces than usually encountered and far less flaws than usual  In fact just one, above the reverse shield.  Dark brown with contrasting tan devices.  A few small and faint obverse scratches.  Reverse legends full but date is partial due to centering.

1786 Vermont. Ryder-11. R4. VG8. Bust Left type.  123.2 grains. Medium brown and olive. The reverse is pretty rough and shows some abrasions. The obverse is only a little granular. The portrait is fully outlined and shows full legends, though there are a couple small peripheral planchet flaws. A very collectible example of this Vermont type.

1787  Vermont  Ryder-12  R3+  VF25.  Struck over a Nova Constellatio.  135.9 grains.  E-MDS.  A superb example, with superior color and surfaces and a bold Nova Constellatio undertype.  Hard and glossy with honey brown toning.  There is however one problem that must be noted, that being a small crease in the planchet at the lower right obverse causing a line of light wear at the corresponding area of the reverse.  That said this coin still is visually stunning. Showing excess planchet beyond the denticles at the obverse right.  Nova star burst visible at obverse center, and a strong section of the Nova wreath runs through the reverse head.

1787  Vermont  Ryder-13  R1  F12.  BRITANNIA type.  122.5 grains.  Early die state.

Vermont duo: 1787 Ryder-13. R1. BRITANNIA. F12. A sharp piece, VF or better, but a grounder with a thick dark olive patina and a little bend at the rim atop the reverse. 1787 Ryder-14. R3. VG10. A bit sharper but granular and with some raised scale from burial. Mottled light brown and olive with some light scratches. Lot of 2 coins.

1787  Vermont  Ryder-14  R3  F15.  94.7 grains.

1787 Vermont. Ryder-14. R3. VF20. ZZZ grains. Glossy deep golden brown with

1787 Vermont. Ryder-14. R3. VF20. ZZZ grains. Glossy deep golden brown with smooth fields. Some old vertical scratches are present at central reverse, and a few scattered pits are seen on the same side. The obverse shows some very light minor scratches and a spot near O of VERMON. Sharp for the grade, a pretty nice Ryder-14 all things considered.

1788 Vermont copper. Ryder-16. R1. F18. ZZZ grains. Glossy and pleasing medium brown despite very minor scattered surface granularity. The sharpness is good, essentially VF, and the strike is well centered with a full date. A nick at the rim is present above E of VERMON and a little flaw is present at the back of the head below M. A light thin striation runs diagonally from about 11:00 to 5:30 on the reverse. A good looking Vermont type coin.

1788  Vermont  Ryder-16  R1  F15  (NCS graded Fine details corroded).  Sharper but covered with microscopic roughness that dulls the surfaces.

1788  Vermont  Ryder-17  R4+  [PCGS F12] F18.  An example of PCGS grading via visual impression without fully appreciating the strike and specific die characteristics of Vermont Bust Coinage.  Central weakness is common with most varieties of this type, and that is the case here, but most peripheral details (legends – date – top of bust etc.) do show VF20 strength.  Dark olive and smooth with only faint texture granularity on the surfaces.  Full sharp legends and date and almost problem free.  There are just a few small toned scratches at the reverse left.  Ryder 17’s are scarce to start with, and notoriously difficult to find nice in upper grades, and this coin is far above average for the issue.  While Ford had a great EF for his primary coin, the second Ryder 17 in the Ford Sale was a problematic AVF (and showing similar central weakness to this coin). An obvious opportunity here for many collectors of the Vermont series.

1788  Vermont  Ryder-17  R4+  F12.  117.7 grains.  Ex Don Valenziano 10/4/91.

1788 Vermont. Ryder-18. R5. F15. ET LIB INDE type. 94.8 grains. Nice smooth light brown with pretty surfaces and eye appeal. Overstruck, like most Ryder-18s, apparently over a British-type counterfeit halfpenny – the outstretched hand of Britannia is visible on the reverse at the armpit of the Vermont’s seated figure. The legends and date are complete, though the die state makes the profile soft like most examples of this variety. There is a circular punchmark at the precise center of the obverse and some old scratches in the right obverse field that may be a weak attempt at graffiti. A little rim clip is present about 2:00 from the obverse. The reverse is about as choice as any Ryder-18 of this grade on the planet. A nice coin for the grade and a major variety that every Vermont collector needs.

1788  Vermont  Ryder-18  R5  F15.  ET LIB INDE type.  90.5 grains. Another nice example of this rare type showing similar detail but this time on a smaller flaw, with small portions of the obverse right legend falling off the planchet.. Smooth with pleasing olive brown toning.  A light dull toned scrape and a few minor contact marks in the obverse field and a very fine toned scratch coming down from the upper rim.  On both this and the prior lot, the identifying bisecting obverse die break is present but is clearer on this example.

1788  Vermont  Ryder-20  R3  VF20.  121.6 grains.  Slightly sharper but covered with microscopic granularity.  Late die state.

1788 Vermont. Ryder-21. R5-. VF25. ZZZ grains. A sharp example of this scarce variety, though the reverse shows an abundance of old scratches. Detail is nearly EF, dark surfaces show microscopic granularity but are still relatively attractive. The patina is a bit thin on some high points, including the breast of the seated figure. Tiny mint clip over E of ET. Far better detail than most Ryder-21s around and with an interesting pedigree: ex. Bowers and Merena’s sale of the Hinkley Collection, November 2001, Lot 2381.

1788 Vermont. Ryder-24. VF20.

1788 Vermont. Ryder-25. R2+. VF-20. 106.6 grains. Pleasing light golden brown with good gloss despite microscopic granularity. Well centered with full legends and a full date, a few little pits scattered across the reverse. The rim over ON has been flattened somehow, a triviality noticeable only under a glass, tiny rim bruise left of the date. The color, detail, and overall quality of this piece are above average.

1788  Vermont  Ryder-27  R1  F15.  108.2 grains.  Sharper but covered with microscopic roughness.  EDS.

1788 Vermont. Ryder-29. R5. G4. ZZZ grains. An identifiable and fairly attractive low grade example of this Vermont rarity. The light brown surfaces are fairly smooth and nicely glossy, though a number of sizable pits are visible on the obverse portrait. The marks are generally light, certainly not alarming at this grade. A shadow of the date is visible on the tight planchet, a planchet small enough that it reminds us of the tiny blanks used for the Ryder-30. Fortunately, the “ski jump” break down the nose on the obverse portrait is bold and easily seen, along with most of the outline of the portrait and some of the obverse legends. The seated figure is partially defined along with some of the reverse legend. A decent looking if heavily worn specimen of a very tough to find piece.

1788  Vermont  Ryder-31  R5-  VF20.  93.0 grains.  Slightly sharper with a dull dent at the back edge of the head.

Trio of Vermont coppers.  Includes 1786 Ryder-6 Landscape type G4, 1788 Ryder-16 G4, and another Ryder-16 in Fair-2.  The first Ryder-16 is struck over a Nova Constellatio, and that is the only piece with a readable date.  Lot of 3 coins.

1783 Nova Constellatio. Crosby 2-B. R1. Pointed Rays. MS-60. 126.5 grains. A stunningly beautiful Nova Constellatio type coin, a true Mint State example that is glory in hand. The obverse is flawless: frosty, fully lustrous, perfectly struck, devoid of even the most minor flaw on its ideal deep brown surfaces. Indeed, the lustre is somewhat reflective, close to prooflike. The reverse is the same: well struck, unworn, and gorgeous, but for an area of inactive corrosion under ON of CONSTELLATIO that affects a few stars and rays. Magnification reveals that this corrosion has been deftly smoothed to minimize its impact, which is not of great consequence. 95% of this coin is the nicest Nova Constellatio you would ever want to own. The remaining 5% may be what makes it affordable enough to grace your collection.

1783 Nova Constellatio copper. Crosby 2-B. Pointed Rays. F18.  ZZZ grains. The reverse is glossy, smooth, and pleasing medium brown, ideal for the grade. The obverse shows some dappled rust colored patina, possibly removable. No corrosion or marks, sharpness of VF or close to it.

1783  Nova Constellatio  Crosby 2-B  R1  VG10.  Pointed Rays.  109.4 grains.

1785 Nova Constellatio copper. Crosby 1-B. Blunt Rays. EF40. ZZZ grains. Glossy smooth light brown with excellent sharpness. Die break at base of wreath as typical. Some old lacquer, likely removable, clings to the central obverse and does affect the eye appeal somewhat. Aside from the lacquer, a choice and very desirable Nova Constellatio.

1785  Nova Constellatio  Crosby 3-B  R1  VG8.  Pointed Rays.  101.8 grains.

1785  Nova Constellatio  Crosby 3-B  R1  VG8.  Pointed Rays.  114.8 grains.  Sharper but covered with very fine granularity.

1785  Nova Constellatio  Crosby 5-E. R3  AU55.  Pointed Rays.  125.7 grains.  A lustrous mint state piece that has a pair of fine pinscratches arcing over the left side of the obverse.  Hints of very faded mint color are peeking through in a couple places.  Early die state.  Probably finest known as it compares favorably with the Garrett and Eliasberg examples.

1781  North American Token  Breen-1144  VG7.  114.6 grains.  Medal orientation.

(ca. 1785 or earlier). Bar Copper-related button. 13 Bars. Vest-sized, 29 mm. A scarce and important button, less well known than the USA buttons that inspired the obverse of the Bar Copper but much rarer. These buttons, like the USA buttons, come in various sizes; this is the largest and closest to the size of the Bar Copper. While striped buttons from colonial times are pretty common, this type actually has 13 bars arranged just as the Bar Copper does. The shank is present and the careful collector inking on the back indicates it was dug near Fredericksburg, Virginia. The condition is good despite having a dug brown-green patina. The only one of these we’ve seen sell was in Tom Rinaldo’s collection of early American historical buttons, catalogued by Erik Goldstein (now at Colonial Williamsburg). That button sold more than a decade ago and brought over $2000 at the time. While USA buttons are quite commonly found, this is the “key” to a coin-related early American button collection.

1787 Nova Eborac copper. Figure seated left. Breen-986. (PCGS VF20). VF25. Sharper than the grade assigned, with details that approach EF, but showing fine granularity on both sides. Even dark brown. Well centered and sharp, tiny rim nick over EB of EBORAC. While most of us will never own a Brasher doubloon, at least this used a lot of the same punches.

Confederation-era trio: 1783 Nova Constellatio. Crosby 2-B. Pointed Rays. F15. Dark brown and tan with faint granularity and some obverse pinscratches. A few spots of green corrosion are present, but this remains sharp and collectible. 1788 Connecticut.  M.16.1-D. R2. VG10. Essentially black with granular surfaces and a few scratches. 1787 Fugio copper. Newman 16-H. R5. G5. Sharper, but heavily granular and black from burial. Still easily attributable and showing the big die crack at the base of the reverse. Lot of 3 coins.

1787 combo platter: 1787 Machin’s Mills halfpenny. V.19-87C. R2. VG10. Finely granular with rim bruises at 5:00 and 11:00. 1787 Fugio copper. Newman 8-B. R1. A very unusual coin, apparently a lustrous high grade specimen, likely from the Bank of New York Hoard, that was mashed into the reverse of a quarter (Seated?) long ago. Presumably this was done around the time of the hoard’s release, as anytime after that this would have been too valuable a coin to mistreat. Smooth chocolate brown with strong reverse lustre. A very interesting piece. Lot of 2 pieces.

Hey Chris!

NOTE: CHANGE ALL FUGIO CENT REFERENCES TO FUGIO COPPERS INSTEAD

1787 Fugio copper. Newman 1-L. R4. F15. Cross After Date. ZZZ grains. The actual sharpness is VF or better, with every digit on the sundial complete, but the detail is a bit uneven and two heavy digs are noted inside the rings at roughly 9:00 and 3:00 on the reverse. Some planchet striations and minor roughness are seen, along with a scratch in the southeast quadrant of the obverse. Maybe not as bad as it sounds, but not terribly pretty either. It is, however, a sharp and readily identifiable example of the obverse used on the first Fugios, those struck with the American Congress reverse.

1787  Fugio Cent  Newman 1-B  R4  [PCGS VF25] VF20.  Cross After Date type. An important major type in the Fugio series, showing the use of an obverse ornamental punch that is unique to this specific obverse die only.  Though struck weakly at the obverse top, this coin is legitimately VF based on its areas of strongest strike.  That fortunately include the distinctive “cross” ornament.  Beyond that this is simply a pleasing coin, with smooth and glossy surfaces with light brown toning,  no surface damage, and only one trivial striation on each side.

1787 Fugio copper. Newman 1-B. F12. Cross After Date type. 138.9 grains. A bit sharper, but the obverse shows some pitting and some scrapes to remove some old corrosion. Glossy dark brown with lighter devices and traces of olive in protected areas. The reverse is fairly choice and very pleasing, though the obverse shows some scratches and remainders of the inactive patina. The Cross After Date aspect is very sharp, and the overall visual impact remains positive. A very scarce variety (or type) in higher grades.

1787  Fugio Cent  Newman 1-B  R4  VG7.  Cross After Date type.  136.4 grains.  MDS with single die clashmarks on the reverse.

1787  Fugio Cent  Newman 1-B  R4  G4.  Cross After Date type.  162.6 grains.  The obverse is slightly weaker while the reverse is stronger.  EDS, before the dies clashed.

1787 Fugio copper. Newman 1-L. R4. F15. Cross After Date. ZZZ grains. The actual sharpness is VF or better, with every digit on the sundial complete, but the detail is a bit uneven and two heavy digs are noted inside the rings at roughly 9:00 and 3:00 on the reverse. Some planchet striations and minor roughness are seen, along with a scratch in the southeast quadrant of the obverse. Maybe not as bad as it sounds, but not terribly pretty either. It is, however, a sharp and readily identifiable example of the obverse used on the first Fugios, those struck with the American Congress reverse.

1787  Fugio Cent  Newman 1-L  R5  G4.  Cross After Date type.  133.3 grains.  Slightly sharper with a pair of strong rim dents.

1787  Fugio Cent  Newman 2-C  R6  G4.  FUCIO error and Concave Ray type.  150.5 grains.  An absolutely key type in the Fugio series, and one that the vast majority of collectors lack.  This coin has a great deal going for it plus a pesky problem.  On the positive side, in addition to simply being what it is, this coin is intrinsically smooth and glossy with lovely light brown toning.  Plus the reverse shows the detail of at least F12.  The down side is readily apparent: a collection of numerous small digs and tiny gouges scattered across both sides.  And because of those but more because of the centering of this coin, FUCIO here is partial and indistinct, making it impossible to visually recognize the FUCIO error.  Moving back to the bright though, the ends of most of the sun rays on the obverse are quite clear, showing the rare concave variant on the basic club ray type. The date is faint but present.  A rare opportunity for both Fugio and type collectors.,

1787  Fugio Cent  Newman 3-D  R3  EF40.  Club Rays.  Ragged edge clip.  147.2 grains. Much stronger than usual details show on this example of the Club Ray type which is seldom encountered in this grade. Central details for Club Ray varieties typically strike up softer than they do with the Pointed Ray types.  Actually more than an edge clip what one finds here is a dramatic lamination with a layer of the planchet surface having fallen off leaving a jagged remainder that was subsequently folded back onto the D of MIND.  As such it can provided added interest for a certain sort of quirky collector who actually studies coins, of which our club has a surplus. The reverse has minor striations and a further aspect of the same obverse lamination.  Both sides are a pleasing mahogany brown with attractive tan high point contrasts.  Generally smooth and mostly glossy where unflawed.

1787  Fugio Cent  Newman 4-E  R3  AG3.  Club Rays.  Counterstamped “PRINDLE”.  147.6 grains.

1787 Fugio copper. Newman 6-W. VF35.  178.5 grains.  A truly choice example either for variety or type.  Absolutely flawless with essentially ideal toning, that being light chocolate brown and tan with some darker shadow toning around some features only heightening its appeal.  Just the finest of background texture on the surface of this planchet.  In a practical sense this coin is quite smooth and it certainly is glossy, with not a mark that must be mentioned.  Availability of circulated Fugios of this quality has been drying up for years  with the increasing popularity (and cost) of Mint State Fugio to U.S. type collectors.

1787 Fugio copper. Newman 6-W. R5. VF25. ZZZ grains. Attractive two tone surfaces are dark brown, near black, in the fields and tan on the devices. Glossy though very finely granular, very pleasing overall. The southeast quadrant of the sundial is a little softly struck, but everything else is bolder than normal for the grade and could be called VF without too much hassle. A planchet flaw on the reverse at about 1:00 is the only real defect. A good looking example of this scarce variety.

1787  Fugio Cent  Newman 7-T  R4  VF30.  141.9 grains.  EDS, before any die cracks on either side.

1787  Fugio Cent  Newman 7-T  R4  G6.  133.3 grains.  LDS.

1787  Fugio Cent  Newman 7-T  R4  G4.  135.7 grains.

1787  Fugio Cent  Newman 7-T  R4  G4.  159.7 grains.  Slightly sharper with a dig on the sun.

1787  Fugio Cent  Newman 7-T  R4  AG3.  132.4 grains.  EDS.  Slightly sharper but rough.

1787  Fugio Cent  Newman 7-T  R4  G4.  Clipped Planchet.  150.3 grains.  LDS.

1787 Fugio. Newman 9-T. R6 VF30.  The rarity rating on this variety has been falling in recent years but as a solid 6,  it still is quite difficult to obtain in any grade.  Close to EF in technical grade but a chiseled type of obverse “cut”, as gentle as imaginable given that terminology, is actually almost hidden in the center of the sun dial,  but it caused this coin to bend slightly increasing wear at the reverse center.  Pleasing light chocolate brown toning on smooth and otherwise problem free surfaces, except for one small dig at the base of the reverse central ring. Without the damage this coin almost certainly would be included in the condition census for this rarity.

1787 Fugio copper. Newman 10-T. R5. 1 over Horizontal 1. VG10. 151.2 grains. Evenly and finely granular medium brown. No major problems, just wear and the very minor roughness. The 1 over horizontal 1 is clear under low magnification.

1787  Fugio Cent  Newman 11-B  R4  F12.  149.5 grains.  Extremely heavy die clashmarks on the obverse.  That die clash IS the story with this otherwise still pleasing coin which has some scattered porosity but generally pleasing color and, though the latter is effected by the strength of the clashing present on that side of the obverse.  Simply put it is abnormally bold, bolder than the details of most of the actual strike itself.  That die clashing is the inverted pattern impressed  from the links on a reverse die.

1787  Fugio Cent  Newman 12-M  R3  VF30.  161.1 grains.  M-LDS. Another lovely circulated type coin of the sort that is increasingly difficult to find on the market of which a dealer can never have too many in stock.  That’s a small natural flaw over the 8 of the date, not a rim cut.  Many would be tempted to grade this coin higher.  Light brown, smooth, glossy and problem free.

1787  Fugio Cent  Newman 12-U  R4  VG7.  166.3 grains.  Sharper but dark and lightly corroded.

1787 Fugio copper. Newman 12-U. R5. VG8. 137.7 grains. Mostly light brown, though the bottom half of the obverse is a slightly darker shade where some scale-like patina remains. The top half of the obverse has been smoothed a bit, particularly in the right obverse field. There is a little planchet fissure on the right side of the reverse. A tougher variety among the Fugios, and top grade ones are impossible.

1787  Fugio Cent  Newman 12-U  R4  G4.  148.6 grains.

1787  Fugio Cent  Newman 12-KK  R6  EF40.  169.7 grains.  Comparable to the Newman plate coin for this rare variety, and flat out attractive for any Fugio regardless of variety.  Chocolate brown with high points a hue lighter.  Smooth and glossy and problem free aside from two natural flaws if you consider those problems,  One is  small irregular “clip” at the obverse rim at 7:00.  Another is a partial lamination striation flaw at the lower right reverse,  A very important solid Condition Census example of a genuinely rare variety.

1787  Fugio Cent  Newman 13-R  R4  [PCGS VF35] VF35.  M-LDS. A somewhat scarcer variety here offered at the grade level where they begin to become quite difficult to obtain,

1787 Fugio copper. Newman 13-X. R2. EF45. 157.6 grains. A very unusual coin. The sharpness is fully Mint State, which is decidedly not unusual for this variety, since most of the 13-Xs on the market come from the Bank of New York hoard. But this piece is finely granular throughout, with some very fine patina at the peripheries, that suggests it was a ground find. The question is did this piece get lost in 1788, making it a very unusual high grade 13-X that wasn’t in the hoard; or was it lost in 1860, right after the hoard came to light; or was it in the hoard and just was more exposed to moisture than others? As it is, the coin has a fine deep mahogany color and good eye appeal despite its surfaces. Its sharpness is superb, making this a fine choice for a type collector who would rather not spend thousands on a real Mint State coin.

1787  Fugio Cent  Newman 13-X  R2  EF40.  142.6 grains.

1787 Fugio copper. Newman 14-O. R5. VG10. 146.5 grains. Sharper but rather rough and showing scattered marks and scratches. Medium brown with some darker mottling. Some scale has been scraped from the reverse, where the marks and scratches are most notable. Still, a 14-O with near VF sharpness is tough to find.

1787 Fugio copper. Newman 15-V. R5. VG10. 138.1 grains. Somewhat sharper but lightly granular throughout and showing a wedge of planchet fissures from the central reverse to rim between 4:00 and 5:00. Two rim nicks atop obverse.

1787  Fugio Cent  Newman 15-Y  R2  F12.  8-Pointed Stars on Label.  158.6 grains.

1787  Fugio Cent  Newman 15-Y  R2  VG7.  8-Pointed Stars on Label.  145.2 grains.  Sharper but covered with fine granularity.

1787 Fugio copper. Newman 16-H. R5. VG8. 175.7 grains. A choice low grade specimen of this scarce variety. Nice glossy medium chocolate brown with surfaces that are nearly smooth, just showing minor granularity under a glass. There is a single tiny planchet flaw on the reverse below 3:00, but there is not a single mark to mention. Just a handsome coin for the grade. Ex. Coin Galleries, February 1988, Lot 1058; David Palmer to Tom Madigan at EAC 2001.

1787  Fugio Cent  Newman 16-H  R5  VG10.  Clipped Planchet.  140.4 grains.  Slightly sharper with parallel hairline scratches on the obverse.

1787 Fugio copper. Newman 16-N. R4. VF35. 140.7 grains. Lovely glossy tan with gorgeous smooth surfaces but for some planchet flaws atop the obverse. The rim is flawed just right of 12:00, and similar natural flaws appear left of the sunface and right of the rightmost sunrays. The rest of the coin is remarkable, especially considering that Ford’s was EF and Norweb’s was Fine. Die state is the same as the Ford coin, with a heavy break from central reverse down to 7:00 and a finer die crack from center to the ring at about 2:00. A nice example of the variety despite the planchet flaws.

1787  Fugio Cent  Newman 16-N  R3  VF20.  161.8 grains.  Sharper with minor roughness.  E-MDS.

1787  Fugio Cent  Newman 16-N  R3  F12.  Off Center.  141.8 grains.  Super choice surfaces..

1787 Fugio copper. Newman 17-S. R4. VG10. 127.4 grains. Quite a bit sharper, but showing some pretty bad scrapes at the reverse rim above 3:00 and above 9:00 that have distorted the shape a bit. The surfaces are light brown and finely granular on both sides. Some other little edge knocks and marks, good sharpness, really not as bad as it may sound.

1787 Fugio. Newman 17-S.1. VG8.

1787 Fugio copper. Newman 18-H. R4. F12. 161.1 grains. Even mahogany-black surfaces retain some gloss despite their even granularity. The sharpness leaves most details clear and there are no bad marks or planchet fissures. This variety has long been listed as a Rarity-6, though it was recently reduced in the Newman book.

1787 Fugio copper. Newman 18-H. R4. VG8. ZZZ grains. A visually unimpressive coin but important nonetheless as the lightest weight Fugio copper we can recall seeing. The detail is perhaps Fine or a bit better, though the surfaces are quite dark and evenly granular in a way that bespeaks burial. While this may have had some impact on the weight, it was likely minimal.  A very interesting coin, a desirable study piece for Fugio enthusiasts.

1787 Fugio copper. Newman 18-U. R4. F18. 154.5 grains. Nice glossy medium brown with excellent eye appeal for the grade. The surfaces are pleasing and nearly smooth. The only flaw to note is a X-scratch that is very well hidden in the intricacies of the sundial, underneath the gnomon. A good looking piece.

1787 Fugio copper. Newman 18-U. R4. VG8. ZZZ grains. Light brown and rose, a little overbright from cleaning. Easily Fine by details and with no major non-cleaning problems aside from some very minor scratches on the central obverse that aren’t too alarming for the grade and are visible only under a glass. A good type coin at this price level.

1787 Fugio copper. Newman 19-M. R6. VF20. 133.2 grains. An extremely challenging variety, called fully Rarity-7 in the Ford sale. Dark steel brown surfaces show light but even granularity throughout. The obverse is aligned trivially to the right, such that the top of the date is right at the edge of the planchet. On the reverse, the strike is shifted towards 7:00. No marks or fissures are seen, just wear and granularity, but still enough detail that the numbers on the sundial are essentially complete. A nice addition to a Fugio collection. Struck in medal turn.

1787 Fugio copper. Newman 19-SS. R6-. F12. 141.9 grains. Two tone surfaces show tan devices and black fields. The planchet is a bit granular and shows a few very minor striations, but the coin remains quite appealing overall. A little spot of green corrosion is present just inside the obverse rim at 12:00. A good looking specimen of this scarce variety.

1787 Fugio. Newman 19-Z.1. VF20 Raised Rims type.  This coin is scratched in the obverse left field but overall still has a pleasing look, and the raised rim feature on the reverse is is strong for much of the circle.

1787  Fugio Cent  Newman 20-X  R5  F20.  164.1 grains.  Possibly finer but with some areas roughened and darkened somewhat by porosity, mostly near the left and/or lower rim on each side .  Mostly pleasing chocolate brown, the surfaces highly reflective and undamaged.  Early obverse die state without the break in the legend below the sun dial.

1787 Fugio copper. Newman 21-I. R4. EF40. 138.6 grains. A truly impressive specimen of this variety, with beautiful smooth glossy light brown surfaces, but for a single circular punch mark at central reverse that has dented through to the central obverse, It’s a pity, as the coin is near flawless otherwise, with just the most minor planchet fissures at the bottom of the obverse to note. The bold clash marks that make this die marriage so easily identifiable are just as prominent as usual on the reverse. Even with its flaw, this piece is vastly superior to the Ford piece, which was plated in Newman.

1787  Fugio Cent  Newman 21-I  R4  VG8.  135.2 grains.  Late die state.

1787  Fugio Cent  Newman 22-M  R5  VG10.  159.7 grains.  LDS.  Struck in medal turn.

1787  Fugio Cent  Becker Copy  EF40.  171.5 grains.  Essentially as struck with finely granular surfaces.  “BECKER” is impressed on the edge.

Pair of Fugio Cents grading net Fair-2.  Unattributed clunkers, but there is enough there to see they are (or used to be) Fugio Cents.  Lot of 2 coins.

1787  New York Excelsior  Eagle on Globe facing Left  Breen-980  F12.  116.4 grains.  The obverse is nicer while the reverse is weaker.  Sharper in places but lightly corroded.  Though this coin has its problems it fills an important void in the collector market, as most New York Excelsior coppers have simply become unaffordable to most colonial collectors, but they have always been extremely popular with demand never keeping up with supply.  Illustrated on the Crosby plate VII, number 22.  Ex Stack’s 10/20/87:41.

1787  Nova Eborac with Large Head  Breen-985  R6  VF20.  145.0 grains.  Sharper, but with microscopic roughness covering both sides. An increasingly difficult major type coin to locate as more mainstream U.S. coin collectors begin chasing after major U.S. Colonial types

1787  Nova Eborac with Reverse Figure Facing Left  Breen-986  Full Date.  Consignor 1 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.

1787  Nova Eborac with Reverse Figure Facing Right  Breen-987  F15.  110.1 grains.

1787  Immunis Columbia  Breen-1137  VG10.  153.8 grains.  Attractive chocolate brown with smooth surfaces.  The date is strong and nearly complete with only the bottom edge tight to the rim.  This is the Crosby plate coin, page 320, Figure 61.  Ex B & M Marcus J. Brown Estate Sale 11/83:2514-B & M Woods sale 10/29/86:3004.

1736  Auctori Plebis with Hispaniola Reverse  Breen-1148  G6.  93.0 grains.  The date is blundered and reads 17336, with the extra 3 weak but still readable.

(1792-94)  Kentucky Halfpenny Token with Plain Edge  Breen-1155  EF45.  151.6 grains.

(1792-94)  Kentucky Halfpenny Token with Small Lancaster Edge  Breen-1158  MS60.  141.8 grains.

1794  Franklin Press Token  Breen-1165  MS60.  127.2 grains.  Frosty chocolate and steel brown with 5-10% of the faded mint color remaining.

1795 Talbot, Allum, and Lee cent. Breen-1035. (NGC MS62). MS62. Struck on an unusual planchet. Lustrous light brown with somewhat reflective fields and excellent visual appeal for the grade. Very boldly struck with all portholes on the ship clear, excellent definition in the standing Liberty figure. The central obverse shows a precise dark circle that was present in the planchet before striking; oddly, the reverse shows an array of concentric circles that are more delicate and require a glass to see, but that radiate from center to rim. We have seen similar lines on Conder tokens, suggesting that this may be an unusual planchet stock intended for another type of token. In the slab, we cannot tell what the edge lettering is or if the weight is unusual for a TAL. Of course, the very bold strike may be evidence of a thicker planchet than normal. A very interesting piece that deserves further study.

1783  Washington Georgius Triumpho  Breen-1184  VF20.  125.8 grains.  Late die state.

1783  Washington Unity Cent  Breen-1188  VF25.  118.3 grains.

1783 Washington Unity States Cent. Baker-1. (PCGS VF25). F18. Glossy golden color remains from a light cleaning. Some peripheral weakness is present and a small area of planchet striations is seen above the obverse portrait.

1783 Washington & Independence with Large Military Bust. Breen-1203. F15. ZZZ grains. An interesting specimen with a substantial retained cud at the tip of the bust, encompassing the first digit of the date and most of W. Pleasing even glossy steel with good eye appeal for the grade. An unusual die state.

1783  Washington & Independence  Draped Bust with Toga Button  Breen-1198  VG10.  105.3 grains.

(1815-20)  Washington Double Head Cent  Breen-1204  VG7.  117.1 grains.

1793 Washington Ship Halfpenny. Lettered Edge. Baker-18. (PCGS VF35). VF30. Dark brown with some faint granularity, but some hints of lustre at the reverse periphery, suggesting this would probably benefit significantly from a brushing. Somewhat mottled on the obverse, scattered light marks and minor scratches where the reverse has bulged outwards. This type, unlike some similar Washington coinages, was clearly made for circulation.

1795  Washington Liberty & Security Penny  Breen-1254  VF25.  297.7 grains.  Sharper with edge dents.

 (1792-95)  Washington Success Token, Large size with Reeded Edge, Breen-1286  AU53 JCI coinxxxxxxxxxxxx

(1792-95)  Washington Success Token, Small size with Plain Edge, Breen-1290  F12.  34.2 grains.  Sharper but lightly corroded.

(ca. 1795) Washington North Wales Halfpenny. Plain Edge. Breen-1295. VF20. 88.6 grains. Smooth and glossy light brown, though the reverse shows widespread light pits. Soft detail as usual, but clearly a better technical grade than often seen, in fact, this may really be EF or better in terms of wear. A neat circulating Washington piece that is also an evasion.

(1790’s)  Washington North Wales Halfpenny with Plain Edge  Breen-1295  F12.  91.4 grains.  Slightly sharper with faint hairline scratches.  Ex Coin Galleries 11/88:1278.

(1790’s)  Washington North Wales Halfpenny with Lettered Edge  Breen-1296  F15.  140.8 grains.  Slightly sharper with a small chip out of the planchet at the rim off the bust tip.  Extremely rare with the lettered edge.

1861 Book “The Medals of Washington” by James Ross Snowden, Director of the Mint.  The covers are stained and worn but the contents are intact.

Group of 5 Early Coppers.  Includes a pair of 1783 Georgius Triumpho, a 1783 Washington Unity Cent, a 28mm Washington medal, and a 1794 Talbot Allum & Lee Cent with New York.  All grade AG-3 except for the medal, which is F12.  Some are sharper with defects.  Lot of 5 coins.

1738  8 Reales Pillar Dollar, Mo/MF, AU50.  413.1 grains.  Essentially mint state, just cleaned.

2 Reales Cob from Bolivia, date not visible, F12.  99.7 grains.

1 Real Cob from Bolivia, date not visible, VF.  55.1 grains.

3 Cob-type 1 Real pieces, all undated, grading VG-Fine.  Lot of 3 pieces.

2 pieces of cut silver from a cob salvaged from the H. M. S. Feversham, both VG.  22.9 grains combined weight.  Comes with a certificate of authenticity attesting to the fact these pieces came from the ship that went down on October 7, 1711.  Ex Stack’s 1/16/2001:9 & 10.

1781  Counterfeit 8 Reales from Mexico in Cast Brass  VG10.  332.8 grains.

1803  Counterfeit 8 Reales from Mexico  VG7.  358.2 grains.

1808  Counterfeit 4 Reales from Chile  VG10.  197.5 grains.

1791  Genuine 2 Reales from Guatemala  F15.  101.2 grains.

1777  Counterfeit 2 Reales  G5.  53.4 grains.

1785  Counterfeit 2 Reales from Mexico  VG7.  91.1 grains.

1786  Counterfeit 2 Reales from Mexico  F12.  71.1 grains.

1791  Counterfeit 2 Reales from Mexico  F15.  87.6 grains.

1793  Counterfeit 2 Reales from Peru  VF20.  91.1 grains.

1797  Counterfeit 2 Reales  F15.  85.0 grains.

1801  Counterfeit 2 Reales from Bolivia  VF20.  88.4 grains.

1807  Counterfeit 2 Reales from Peru  F12.  87.7 grains.

1828  Counterfeit 2 Reales from Spain  F15.  73.4 grains.

1674  British Farthing  Triple Struck  ANACS graded VG10.

1752 counterfeit halfpenny. VF. Ringo:5820

1771  Counterfeit British Halfpenny  EF40.  107.5 grains.  Ex Ringo:5856.

1771  Counterfeit British Halfpenny  AU50.  98.9 grains  Ex Ringo:5867.

1773 counterfeit halfpenny. Unc. Ringo:5882

1773  Counterfeit British Halfpenny  EF45.  102.8 grains.  Ex Ringo:5898.

1773  Counterfeit British Halfpenny  AU50.  155.6 grains.  Ex Ringo:5894.

1774  Counterfeit British Halfpenny  AU55.  100.9 grains.

1774  Counterfeit British Halfpenny  EF40.  125.6 grains.

1774  Counterfeit British Halfpenny  EF45.  138.5 grains.  Ex Ringo:5912.

1774  Counterfeit British Halfpenny  EF45.  130.5 grains.  Ex Ringo:5908.

1774  Counterfeit British Halfpenny  EF40.  89.9 grains.  Ex Ringo:5900.

1775  Counterfeit British Halfpenny  VF30.  92.8 grains.

1775  Counterfeit British Halfpenny  EF40.  123.9 grains.  Ex Ringo:5936.

1775  Counterfeit British Halfpenny  VF30.  102.9 grains.  Ex Ringo 5957.

1775  Counterfeit British Halfpenny  VF35.  121.3 grains.  Ex Ringo:5949.

1775 counterfeit halfpenny. VF. Ringo:5961

1782  Counterfeit Irish Halfpenny  AU58.  117.7 grains.  Ex Ringo:6040.

1690  Irish Gun Money  EF40.  142.3 grains.

2008 C-4 Mailbid Sale

1722  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny with Harp Right  Martin M4.1-Bb.2  R3  VG8.  112.1 grains.

1723  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny  Martin M4.5-Gc.24  R7  F15.  115.4 grains.  Late die state.

1723  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny  Martin M4.5-Gc.25  R6  VF20.  Double Struck.  112.9 grains.  Late die state.

1723  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny  Martin M4.38-Gc.17  R5  F15.  116.8 grains.  Late die state.

1723  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny  Martin M4.38-Gc.25  R4  VF20.  107.4 grains.  Choice.  Late die state.

1723  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny  Martin M4.38-Gc.29  R5  VF20.  120.0 grains.  M-LDS.

1723  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny  Martin M4.44-Gc.22  R5  PCGS graded XF45.  Late die state, later than shown in the Martin book.

1723  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny  Martin M4.44-Gc.22  R5  G6.  106.8 grains.  Very late die state, later than shown in the Martin book and later than the preceding example.

1723  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny  Martin M4.47-Gb.7  R4  VG8 but holed.  100.3 grains.  Late die state.

1723  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny  Martin M4.90-Gc.9  R3  F15.  123.4 grains.  M-LDS.

1723  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny  Martin M5.2-Fb.2  R6  VF20.  125.1 grains.

1723  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny  unattributed  VG8.  95.6 grains.  Sharper but dark and corroded.

1724  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny  Martin M4.51-K.4  R2  F15.  109.6 grains.  Sharper but lightly corroded.

1724  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny  Martin M4.73-L.2  R5  F15.  103.4 grains.  LDS, later than shown in the Martin book.

1724  Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny  Martin M4.73-L.2  R5  F12.  85.4 grains.  Choice.  Very late die state with an unpublished cud break at the top of the obverse and an unlisted die crack from the right side of the harp.

A pair of 1723 Woods Hibernia Halfpennies.  Includes a F15 M.4.61-Gc.7 that is fairly smooth with lightly granular surfaces and a tiny rim clip at 1:00 obverse.  Decent toning and essentially problem free; plus a VG10 M.4.96-Ge.39 that is dark olive and slightly rough on both sides with a void at the base of the harp.  Full legends and date.

Three 1723 Hibernia Halfpennies.  Each still unattributed by Martin numbers.  Includes a VF35 example, even medium olive brown with a generally pleasing obverse and some roughness at the lower right reverse; a F15 example, medium brown and just slightly dull, the obverse fairly smooth the reverse rougher but with full strong legends and date on both sides; a VG7 example that is dull and porous, mostly medium brown but faintly pinkish at points from a brushing of sorts.  Full legends and date.

A better date duo of Woods Hibernia Halfpennies.  Includes F15 1722 Harp Left M.4.3-Be.1, rather dull from even microscopic porosity but no significant problems   Slightly contrasting dark and medium olives.  WITH a F15 1724 M.4.30-K.1 that shows some stronger detail but also shows scattered light pitting and general roughness.

Two 1724 Woods Hibernia Halfpennies.   Includes a F18 M.4-K, medium olive with somewhat rough surfaces, plus a F12 M.8-L, obverse fairly smooth, reverse rougher but not that bad. Color is pleasing but there are two long scratches at the right of the obverse.

Two 1723 Woods Hibernia Farthings.  Includes a F15 M.3.3-Ba.1, even olive brown and reasonably smooth with just minor nicks, obverse exhibits die rust.  WITH another F15 M.3.3-Ba.1, with an obverse exhibiting die state and a somewhat rougher reverse.

1776  Counterfeit British Halfpenny Counterstamped “LJ”  G6.  108.7 grains.

Group of 6 Counterfeit British Halfpennies grading AG-G.  Dates include 1770, 1775, and 1777 plus three others with unreadable dates.  Lot of 6 coins.

Quartette of old coppers.  Includes two French Jetons, one Bungtown evasion piece, and one misc piece dated 1645.  Grades are VG-VF.  Lot of 4 coins.

Group of 13 mixed Halfpennies grading AG-G.  Some real, others counterfeit.  Lot of 13 coins.

1737  Counterfeit British Farthing  VG8.  69.6 grains.

1752  Counterfeit British Farthing  VG10.  17.0 grains.

1762  Counterfeit British Farthing  VF20.  53.7 grains.

1771  Counterfeit British Farthing  VF20.  28.2 grains.

1771  Counterfeit British Farthing  VF35.  38.6 grains.

1773  Counterfeit British Farthing  F15.  20.1 grains.

1773  Counterfeit British Farthing  VF20.  43.7 grains.

1773  Counterfeit British Farthing or Small Medal  VF20.  48.5 grains.

1773  Counterfeit British Farthing  VF35.  48.5 grains.

1773  Counterfeit British Farthing  VF30.  21.8 grains.

1774  Counterfeit British Farthing  AU55.  49.7 grains.

1774  Counterfeit British Farthing  VF35.  40.8 grains.

1775  Counterfeit British Farthing  VF30.  30.2 grains.

1775  Counterfeit British Farthing  F15.  45.8 grains.

1775  Counterfeit British Farthing  F15.  23.4 grains.

1775  Counterfeit British Farthing  F12.  Double Struck.  42.5 grains.

1776  Counterfeit British Farthing  VF25.  37.4 grains.

1776  Counterfeit British Farthing  F12.  35.3 grains.

1793  Counterfeit British Farthing  F12.  24.3 grains.

1793  Counterfeit British Farthing  VF20.  31.7 grains.

1793  Counterfeit British Farthing  VF30.  45.9 grains.

1793  Counterfeit British Farthing  EF40.  Clipped Planchet.  49.4 grains.

1797  Counterfeit British Farthing  VG10.  29.0 grains.

1797  Counterfeit British Farthing  F15.  26.5 grains.

Undated Counterfeit British Farthing  VF30.  32.7 grains.

Counterfeit British Farthing  (date not struck up)  VF25.  41.6 grains.

1751  Counterfeit British Halfpenny  G4.  139.8 grains.

1771  Counterfeit British Halfpenny  VF20.  78.7 grains.

1771  Counterfeit British Halfpenny  VF20.  77.8 grains.

1772  Counterfeit British Halfpenny  VF20.  142.4 grains.

1773  Counterfeit British Halfpenny  F12.  142.8 grains.

1773  Counterfeit British Halfpenny  EF40.  133.9 grains.

1774  Counterfeit British Halfpenny  VF20.  128.8 grains.

1774  Counterfeit British Halfpenny  F15.  135.2 grains.

1775  Counterfeit British Halfpenny  VF20.  Double Struck.  65.2 grains.  Ex 1995 C-4 Sale, lot 611.

Undated Counterfeit British Halfpenny Obverse Brockage  VF30.  82.8 grains.  Ex 1995 C-4 Sale, lot 618.

1775  Counterfeit British Halfpenny  F15.  119.3 grains.

1775  Counterfeit British Halfpenny  F12.  107.1 grains.

1775  Counterfeit British Halfpenny  VG10.  Triple Struck.  101.3 grains.

1775  Counterfeit British Halfpenny  VG10.  104.8 grains.

1775  Counterfeit British Halfpenny  F15.  101.3 grains.

1775  Counterfeit British Halfpenny  VF25.  111.1 grains.

1775  Counterfeit British Halfpenny  VF25.  122.4 grains.

1776  Counterfeit Irish Halfpenny  VF30.  Double Struck.  83.4 grains.  Ex Heritage 1/99:6996.

Undated Counterfeit British Halfpenny  Obverse Brockage  EF40.  104.9 grains.  Choice.  Ex Richard Picker collection, Coin Galleries 5/24/89:1146.

Counterfeit British Halfpenny (date off the planchet)  VF20.  112.6 grains.  Heavy die clashmarks on reverse.

Counterfeit British Halfpenny (date very weakly struck)  VF20.  114.7 grains.

Counterfeit British Halfpenny (date mostly off the planchet)  F15.  92.1 grains.

Undated North Wales/Sr Bevois Southamton Evasion Halfpenny  VF25.  93.4 grains.

Undated North Wales/Sr Bevois Southamton Evasion Halfpenny  F15.  95.2 grains.

Counterfeit British Halfpenny (date mostly off the planchet)  VF25.  78.0 grains.

Counterfeit British Halfpenny (date mostly off the planchet)  VF20.  69.3 grains.

1771  Counterfeit British Halfpenny  F15.  86.0 grains.

1797  Counterfeit British Halfpenny (For General Convenience)  VF25.  123.5 grains.  Partially lettered edge.

1771  Counterfeit British Halfpenny  AG3.  92.4 grains.

1767  Evasion British Halfpenny  (Georivs Pit Sex)  EF40.  101.2 grains.

1771  Evasion British Halfpenny  (Glacious Dei Pax)  VF20.  96.1 grains.

1774  Evasion British Halfpenny  (Claudius Romanus)  F15.  101.0 grains.

1775  Evasion British Halfpenny  (Brutus Sextus)  VF20.  97.7 grains.

1776  Evasion British Halfpenny  (George Rules)  F12.  87.3 grains.

1777  Evasion British Halfpenny  (Glaucovs Dei Pax)  F12.  91.3 grains.

1769  Evasion Irish Halfpenny  (Georgivs III Kex)  VF25.  95.3 grains.

Undated Evasion Irish Halfpenny  (Payable At WM)  F12.  90.1 grains.

Undated North Wales/ Sr Bevios Southamton Evasion British Halfpenny  F15.  87.2 grains.

Undated North Wales/Sr Bevois Southamton Evasion British Halfpenny  VF20.  93.7 grains.

Undated North Wales/Sr Bevois Southamton Evasion British Halfpenny  F15.  93.4 grains.

Undated Evasion British Halfpenny (Gulielmus Shakespear)  VF30.  112.3 grains.

Undated Evasion British Halfpenny  (Alfred The Great)  VF20.  97.0 grains.

Group of 5 Counterfeit British Halfpennies  AG-Good.  All are possibly American made and are ex Coin Galleries 11/92:2600.  Lot of 5 coins.

Group of 5 Counterfeit British Halfpennies  AG-Good.  All but one are possibly American made and are ex Coin Galleries 11/92:2600.  Lot of 5 coins.

Group of 5 Counterfeit Halfpennies, 4 British and 1 Irish, grading AG-Good.  Most have a readable date.  Lot of 5 coins.

Group of 7 Counterfeit British Halfpennies  Fair-Good.  Lot of 7 coins.

Group of 5 Counterfeit British Halfpennies  AG-VG.  Lot of 5 coins.

Group of 5 Counterfeit British Halfpennies  Fair-Good.  Lot of 5 coins.

Dickeson Copy of Continental Dollar  Kenney-2 (struck in 1876)  Proof-63.  343.6 grains.

Dickeson Copy of Sommer Island Shilling in Brass  Kenney-1 (struck in 1850’s)  Proof-60.  192.4 grains.

Robinson Copy of 1694 New England Elephant Token in Nickel  Kenney-5 (struck circa 1860)  AU50.  104.2 grains.  A decent copy of the Breen-197 original.

Idler Copy of the Baltimore Denarium in Copper with Plain Edge  Kenney-2 (struck circa 1860)  Proof-64.  78.2 grains.  Slightly faded mint red.

Pair of Copies, both EF40.  Includes 1760 8 Reales from Mexico and a St Patrick Farthing B-208 in white metal with “COPY” on the edge.  Lot of 2 coins.

Pair of Becker Copies, both EF-40.  Includes a 1787 Fugio Cent with the dies in medal orientation and a 1773 Virginia Halfpenny.  Both have “BECKER” on the edge.  Lot of 2 coins.

Trio of Copies.  Includes a Becker copy (BECKER on edge) of the 1739 Higley threepence in VF20, a 1785 Vermont (VERMONTIS) in AU50, and a 1788 Massachusetts cent in AU50.  Lot of 3 coins.

Trio of Electrotype Copies.  Includes a 1739 Higley threepence in F12, a 1722 Wood’s Hibernia halfpenny EF40, and a Bar Cent in VF20.  Lot of 3 coins.

Trio of Copies.  Includes 1786 Vermont Ryder-8 EF40, 1783 Washington & Independence VG8, and 1795 TAL Cent EF40.  The first and last have “COPY” on the edge.  Lot of 3 coins.

Betts Die for the 1623 NOVVM BELGIVM Obverse.  Hand carved into the obverse of a US Large Cent of the 1838-1843 reverse style.  The die is essentially as made.  Traces of metal from the struck planchets remain in some of the carved recesses of the die.  An example of the Betts copy struck from a similar die was offered as lot #557 in the Ford sale, Stack’s 5/23/06.

Betts Die for his 1653 New England Shilling Reverse.  Hand carved into the reverse of a US Large Cent dated 1853.  The die side grades a nice VF30 or so.

George III portrait obverse/Irish Harp reverse  EF40.  Struck from unfinished dies.  103.0 grains.  Apparently struck from a pair of unfinished dies being prepared to strike counterfeits.

1883  Maris Family Reunion Bicentennial Medal  Proof-60.  Copper or bronze, 38mm, 471.5 grains.  The family reunion (yes, that Maris family) was held on 25 August 1883.

1739 Admiral Vernon Medal  (Portobello/Royal Arms)  VG10.  240.9 grains.  Version with reversed N’s in the reverse legend.

1739  Admiral Vernon Medal  (Portobello/Havana)  McC-G #45  VG10.  279.3 grains.  Struck in high relief.  Some shallow engravings in the fields on both sides.

Pair of 1739 Admiral Vernon Medals, both corroded.  Includes McC-G #146 (Portobello/Vernon & Brown) F12 net AG3 and MCC-G #237 (Havana) VF30 net VG8.  Pair of 2 coins.

1702 Medal in Brass, Betts-95, VG8.  76.8 grains.  21mm.  Sharper with dull dents, but everything remains clear.

1709 Queen Anne Medal  Battle of Malplaquet  AU50.  656.7 grains.  47.5mm.

Copper Button, Canon with Eagle perched on top  VF25.  38.1 grains.  Shank removed.

1776 Washington Comitia Americana Medal  Baker-48-H  AU50.  69mm.

1781  Washington Comitia American Medal  Electrotype copy of Betts-594  Battle of Cowpens  F15.  809.7 grains.  46mm.

1855  New York Industry Exposition Medal  AU50.  57.5mm.  Holed at top.

(1813)  Oliver Perry Medal  MS60.  65mm.

1854 Commodore Perry Medal from the Merchants of Boston  AU50.  61mm.  Token of their appreciation for negotiating the March 31, 1854 treaty with Japan.

1909 Taft Inauguration Medal  AU55.  1184.7 grains.  51mm.  Comes with part of the original presentation box from Paris.

South Carolina?  Silver Medal G4.  277.0 grains.  38mm.

General Daniel Morgan Medal in Copper  Battle of Cowpens  MI-7  EF45.  56mm.

1760/1809  George III Uniface Medal (shell for Electrotype?)  AU55.  197.3 grains.  52mm.

William Pitt Medal (GVLIELMVS PITT)  F12.  405.0 grains.  41mm.  Sharper but deep digs in field before chin.  Reverse legend:  THE MAN WHO . HAVING SAVED THE ARENT . PLEADED WITH SUCCESS FOR HER CHILDREN.

Canadian Blacksmith Token  Wood-1  F12.  110.6 grains.

Canadian Blacksmith Token  Wood-2?  F12.  89.4 grains.

Canadian Blacksmith Token  Wood-4?  VG10.  86.0 grains.

Canadian Blacksmith Token  Wood-11  VF20.  80.8 grains.

Canadian Blacksmith Token  Wood-12  VF20.  75.1 grains.

Canadian Blacksmith Token  Wood-14  VF30.  96.6 grains.

Canadian Blacksmith Token  Wood-16  VF20.  96.8 grains.

Canadian Blacksmith Token  Wood-17 in Brass  VF30.  94.7 grains.

Canadian Blacksmith Token  Wood-18 in Brass  VG10.  92.0 grains.

Canadian Blacksmith Token  Wood-23  VF35.  82.3 grains.  EDS.

Canadian Blacksmith Token  Wood-23  VF20.  97.6 grains.

Canadian Blacksmith Token  Wood-33  F15.  92.7 grains.

1811 Canadian Counterfeit Vexator Token  Breton-558  VG10.  99.6 grains.

1792  British Halfpenny Token  John Howard/Birmingham  VF30.

1794  British Halfpenny Token  Canterbury  MS60.  Trace red.

1795  British Halfpenny Token  Middlesex/Lords Commons  D&H-295  MS63.  Trace red.

Undated British Halfpenny Token  Middlesex/Sims Russell Court  D&H-478a Plain Edge  MS60.

1793  British Halfpenny Token  Yorkshire/Leeds Halfpenny  Proof-60.  Lettered edge: Payable at H. Brownbill’s Silversmith.

1794  British Halfpenny Token  Middlesex/Shackelton  D&H-477  MS60.  Trace red.

1796  British Halfpenny Token  C. J. Fox, Coin Dealer  Double Struck Reverse MS60.  Trace red.

Undated British Halfpenny Token  William Rusher, Hatter  MS60.  Trace red.

Undated British Halfpenny Token  French Liberty  MS60.  Trace red.

Undated British Halfpenny Token  The End of Oppression  MS60.  Red & Brown.

1793  British Halfpenny Token  Warwickshire/John Wilkinson Iron Master  D&H-384a  Proof-60.  Lettered edge:  Bersham Bradley/Willey Snedshill.

1796  British Halfpenny Token  Suffolk/Woodbridge Alms-Houses  MS63.  Trace red.  Lettered edge:  Published by R. Loder 1796.

1797  British Halfpenny Token  Sparks & Gidleys  VF35.  Diagonally reeded edge.  Linen & wollen girth web manufactory.

Undated British Halfpenny Token  Thomas Paine End of Pain/Pandoras Breeches  Middlesex-829a  VF30.  Thin planchet.

Quartette of British Halfpenny Tokens.  Includes 1793 North Wales VF35, undated Sr Bevois Southamton VG10, 1788 Anglesey Mines VG10, and undated Wm Rusher hatter VG8.  Lot of 4 coins.

1834  Hard Times Token  Low-8  Rulau HT-9  R1  MS60.  Lustrous steel brown and chocolate.

(1834)  Hard Times Token  Low-14  Rulau HT-27  R5  Brass  VF20.  Sharpness EF40 with small areas of very shallow corrosion on the obverse.

Group of 5 Hard Times Tokens.  Includes Low-18 F15, L-28 VG10, L-33 F12, L-47 F15, L-51 VF35.  Some are slightly sharper with defects.  Lot of 5 coins.

Group of 5 Hard Times Tokens.  Includes Low-67 F15, L-74 F15, L-76 VF25, L-80 F15, and L-107 VF30.  Some are slightly sharper with defects.  Lot of 5 coins.

Trio of Early Merchant Tokens.  Includes C. D. Peacock (Chicago, IL) EF40, S. B. Schenck (Attleboro, MA) F15, and I. A. Hopkins (Milwaukee, WI) VF30.