1787 New Jersey Copper. Maris 73-aa, W-5430. Rarity-4. Sprig Above Plow, Plaited Mane--Overstruck on a Connecticut Copper--PCGS EF-40

123.2 grains. Both sides dark brown with considerable reddish-brown showing in the centers. The surfaces are lightly granular on the obverse, more so on the reverse with a patch of what may be active verdigris along the right border. Fairly decent sharpness on the obverse, the eye somewhat clear, other head details fairly bold, mane showing in most places. The center of the reverse is somewhat soft in the horizontal lines, vertical ones sharper save at the left where the Connecticut undertype has obscured them. Light planchet flaws, probably retained laminations, around the base of the plow handles and coulter. Boldly overstruck on a Connecticut copper (Breen thought a 1786), the undertype's legend on the obverse creating a near-perfect Connecticut-New Jersey hybrid whose legend reads UCTORI CAESAREA. On the reverse, the seated figure's foot from the Connecticut undertype protrudes from behind the lower left edge of the New Jersey shield. Struck from the broken state of the obverse, the die broken from the border down through the opening of the letter C reaching to the horse's head below and clearly failing in the upper left field. Ryder ticket that accompanies this lot notes: "Date invisible. Struck over Conn. Cent. Vastly superior to illustration on Maris' plate. Very rare."