NJ Copper...Variety?

@differential , I suggest you consult the better auction records (Heritage, Stacks, etc.) for photograding comparisons in order to determine the sharpness grade of your coin. Remember to search for your 23-P for the comparison since these different die marriages have wide strike variations between them.

Heres' my 24-P in a PCGS slab graded VF-30. After looking for some time for a nice one for my type set I bought this one because it has nice color and has almost no distracting marks.

 

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Not 24-P, it is 23-P as Publius2 stated. It's not that bad of a coin, you'll see lots worse with the state and colonial coinages!

 

23-P it is. I did find an entire catalog where Stacks-B sold only NJ cents. Some of them were gorgeous (and expensive) and there were some that I wouldn't trade my coin for. For me alot of green corrosion would be more detrimental than graffiti. (Interesting that the ancient coin collectors sometimes like graffiti.) It's going to take awhile until I feel comfortable about the grading. I turned to "Making the Grade" and they start out with Large Cents, so there's no coverage of earlier coinage. Grading these appears to be much more complex than grading coins for which there is a rubric (and no rubric is perfect--the judgment of an expert is the best grading of all.) It would be great to go to some Early Colonial shows, see hundreds of actual coins and get to talk about them with those who collect them. Trying to learn this virtually (as I will have to do for sometime to come) isn't as effective as going to coin shows, observing hundreds of coins, and interacting with others who have a passion for the coins. Not as much fun, either!

 

I bought my first New Jersey copper somewhere in the early 1970's and have been enthralled with colonials and state coppers ever since. I may be in the minority, but I never give a thought to numerical grade, I give more thought to color and surface quality, if the coin is attractive to me. Actually a lot of my coins are not attractive at all, but it is all part of the charm of these pieces! at one point I was collecting New Jerseys by die variety but they just got too costly. I switched to Connecticut coppers where you can still find R6 coins for well under $100. I also dabble in the William Wood Hibernia and Rosa Americana coins, and basic type coins. I do really like the old horse heads though!

 

Here is the second Colonial coin I have acquired

 

I really like the colors and surface (smooth)of the coin above. It seems to be a thinner coin than the NJ coin I previously posted. Maybe it was well-circulated among the seafarers on the east coast of Ct.? I would be happy to have a set of colonial coins that all had a similar surface and sharpness level. Photo of reverse didn't come out too well.

 

If pre-federal and colonial coins interest you, then you can gain a lot of knowledge and many like-minded friends by joining the Colonial Coin Collecting Club (C4). I'm a member. Check out the webpage:

Colonial Coin Collectors Club (colonialcoins.org)

Also, many people like myself belong to both EAC and C4 since the area of interest seems to cross-pollinate, if you will. The annual EAC convention is going on as we speak in St. Louis and C4 is present at those annual conventions.

And, there are lots and lots of books.