| Description |
1787 COPPER New Jersey Copper, Serpent head MS63 Brown NGC. M. 54-k, W-5295, R.3. 134.3 grains. Several features contribute to the Serpent Head nickname for this variety, including the long, curved neck and the fin-like upper torso of the horse. The origin of the nickname is uncertain, although it has been listed in every edition of the Guide Book since the 1946 first edition. Based on middle-19th century research conducted by Charles Bushnell and reported to Sylvester S. Crosby, the variety is attributed to a man named Hatfield who supposedly struck these pieces below Elizabethtown. The location is now assumed to be the Rahway Mint. This amazing piece from Eric P. Newman's collection is a late die state with the obverse cracked from the A of NOVA to the nearby C, where it jogs and continues to the AE. A second obverse crack from the final A extends down through plow beam and coulter, to the plowshare. The Siboni, et al. Condition Census records two coins graded AU+ and four others graded AU. Clearly, this example is far finer than any of those coins, and deserves the title Finest Known, or perhaps King of the Serpent Heads. The strike is sharp with glossy chocolate-brown surfaces and full legends. Ex: Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society.
Realized $20,562.50. Description courtesy of Heritage Auctions. |
