1788 NJ 1/2P Fox Before Legend, Maris 77-dd, BN MS(PCGS#766251)

November 2025 Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

Auktionator

Stack's Bowers

Losnummer

1388

Erhaltungsgrad

VF35BN

Preis

3.360

Losbeschreibung

147.0 grains. The rarest of the three major die states of this die marriage, the former Maris 77 1/2-dd shows the effects of a cataclysmic impact to the obverse die, likely caused by a "cocked die clash," from the edge of the unmoored reverse die body striking the center of the obverse. Light brown with finely granular surfaces and a bit of olive encrustation around parts of the legends. Sharp and well centered, nice eye appeal even considering the surfaces, a very decent looking coin. A little rim nick is noted left of the date, a few dull marks are seen at center, and a single hairline scratch runs horizontally just above the exergue line on the obverse, while the reverse shows a little notch in the rim above the first U of UNUM and a couple of harmless well-hidden scratches. The visual appeal is good, and this stands head and shoulders above a typical example of this rarity.<p>The SHI Census on this die state includes six coins: an EF+, an EF, two VF+ coins, and two VFs. The sixth ranked Ford coin, which we sold in 2003, is the most recent of them to have sold at public auction. It appears we've sold just six of these since that time. The best of them was the Syd Martin coin, a PCGS EF-40 that brought $3,600 in August 2022. The Norm Peters coin was the only other one to receive a non-Details grade; certified as VF-25 (PCGS), it brought $3,360 in November 2021. The two examples sold from the E Pluribus Unum Collection were both pretty nice, though perhaps not as nice as this one: the November 2019 example was graded VF Details, Scratch by PCGS, while the August 2023 piece was described EF Details, Environmental Damage (PCGS) and still brought $3,600. The other two were low grade grounders, offered in 2011 and 2021. These do not grow on trees, and examples this nice are incredibly elusive.