Pre-Federal - 1783 Nova Constellatio - Comments?

I am a new member at the CoinTalk forum. I hope that this is the proper sub-forum for this posting...

Pictured is a 1783 Nova Constellatio copper that I recently got for a nice, modest price. It's the first 1783 for my collection... all others I have are 1785's.

I believe that this specimen is a Crosby 1-A (W-1860) based on its obverse die damage.

Any comments and thoughts about it are appreciated and welcomed!

Thanks, kindly

 

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Welcome to the forum! And yes this forum works. Very nice looking coin. Looks like a really solid coin and planchet. Very nice indeed. I don't know a whole lot about them and only own one fugio cent.

 

That's a really nice looking Nova C.! I agree with your attribution. I only have one of these, a 4-D, shown here:

 

Thanks ksparrow.

I like your 4-D... indeed its got the 29 pairs of leaves. That's a specimen I don't have yet, but is definitely on my list!

 

wow nice how much did that cost?

 

Nice smooth Nova, I am jealous!

 

was your coin struck over something else? there is some interesting stuff going on amid the stars under STEL and ATI.

 

Good eye ksparrow -

Here's the skinny - Per Whitman Encyclopedia of Colonial and Early American Coins (2009 pg.76) Crosby 1-A (W-1860): "The obverse die was damaged by another die falling on it, below center, leaving dentil impressions opposite STEL and ATIO. The lower right portion of the wreath is always lightly struck."

 

thanks, C.Cats. (I feel a little silly for not looking in my own copy, which is sitting at my elbow, d'oh!)

 

You're welcome ksparrow.

I love my Whitman, it's always the first place I look... I try to avoid having to dig stuff up in Breen's if I can avoid it... its index and text is tedious on the eyes. (Though Breen's has never disappointed when I've had to do some real digging.)

 

I don't own anything like this but I so much enjoy looking at what you guys have .....

 

The same reverse design-- with different legends, of course, appears on the Vermont coins as well:

 

ksparrow - which do you have pictured there? A Vermontis, Vermonts, or a Vermontensium? Is that yours? If so, can you post an image of the obverse?

I have a Vermontis myself...

 

That is a nice Constellatio Cheetahcats, and welcome to Coin Talk.
You will find a few of us here value and collect early US coppers.

I've seen quite a few Constellatios with dark and corroded surfaces. Yours is very presentable, with a nice planchet.

I think I have the same variety - as least it shows the same break (is that what it is?) on the reverse. The reverse is very weak though...

 

Very nice piece, Eduard, it looks virtually flawless. I believe most of these have a weakly struck reverse.

Regarding my Vermont copper, it's a 'Vermonts' piece from 1785, presumably struck at the first mint at Rupert. I believe it was buried for a while, acquiring a heavy layer of oxidation that accentuates the well preserved devices. (I bought it for the details). It also has a very noticeable planchet flaw. Here's the obverse:

 

Thanks Eduard. Awesome specimen you have indeeed.

ksparrow. Terrific Vermonts you have there. The 1785-1786 Vermont pieces with the obverse landscape design is one of my favorites of the Early Americans.

 

Looks right. Man-o-man... that must have been one heck of an impact to damage the die like that !

Nice grab ! Congrats. :thumb:

 

Very nice and interesting coin!!

 

Beautiful coins guys!
You probably know this, but the VT is Ryder-2 (Sun ray points to the period after RES.)

 

Here's one for ya. This was my very first colonial, and still my favorite.