1787 NJ 1/2P Batman Shield, Maris 48-g, BN MS(PCGS#688361)

1787 NJ 1/2P Batman Shield, Maris 48-g, BN MS (PCGS#688361)

November 2019 Baltimore Colonial Coins and Americana Auction

Lot Description: 1787 New Jersey copper. Maris 48-g. Rarity-1. Outlined Shield. AU-53 (PCGS). 154.6 grains. Fresh, glossy, and sharp, with outstanding eye appeal and the sort of frost that arrives when luster has barely departed. The horsehead and shield are both fully detailed, and the centering is close enough to offer most of the denticles though not quite all. The rim is naturally truncated from a minor flaw above the star between E and PLURIBUS. The surfaces are mostly smooth, showing just a few trivial laminations on the obverse. The verdigris that clings to the letters atop the reverse does little but offer assurances of the natural preservation of this piece’s patina. Die State 3, with a clear diagonal crack across the shield and the crack through the M of UNUM extending from the rim to the right border of the shield. In this state, the obverse die clashes are subtle, diminished in appearance from earlier states, and the reverse details remain crisp. A good looking example, perhaps similar in quality to those at the bottom of the SHI seven-coin Condition Census. Provenance: From the E Pluribus Unum Collection of New Jersey Coppers. PCGS# 688361and 503. Click here for certification details from PCGS.