2003

1787 PIECE Immune Columbia piece, Eagle Reverse MS64 B 1787[COPPER] Immune Columbia Copper, Eagle Re

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money Start Price:20,000.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
1787 PIECE Immune Columbia piece, Eagle Reverse MS64 B 1787[COPPER] Immune Columbia Copper, Eagle Re
<B>1787<COPPER> Immune Columbia Copper, Eagle Reverse MS64 Brown NGC.</B></I> Breen-1137. In the past, these pieces have been identified as a pattern issue for a proposed contract coinage, produced by James Atlee at Rahway Mills in New Jersey. In his <I>Complete Encyclopedia,</B></I> Walter Breen developed an extensive scenario to support his position regarding these coins. The only problem is that none of it is accurate. These backdated pieces were actually struck in 1788 or possibly even 1789. We know this now as an example of this coinage issue, on a broad planchet, has been found with a New Jersey Maris 26-S undertype, in a late die state, and clearly produced in 1788, despite the undertype's 1786 date. A rather large number of these pieces still survive today, perhaps a few hundred in total, and nearly all in lower grades, seldom Mint State. This quantity and their grades suggest that an issue of several thousand pieces was actually struck for circulation. This example, from the Ford Collection, is well struck and nicely centered with nearly full lettering and date. The surfaces are smooth olive-brown with chestnut and steel color. It is a remarkable example, finer than most, and probably within the top 1% of surviving specimens.<BR><I>Ex: John J. Ford, Jr. (Stack's, 5/2004), lot 291.</B></I>