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1787 COPPER New York Excelsior Copper, George Clinton AU58 NGC. Crosby Plate VIII Number 5, Figure 62, Breen-989, W-5790. Hig...
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1787 George Clinton Copper, AU58
The Third Finest Privately Held Example
Whitman-5790
1787 COPPER New York Excelsior Copper, George Clinton AU58 NGC.
Crosby Plate VIII Number 5, Figure 62, Breen-989, W-5790. High
R.6. This is one of five rare colonial varieties that feature
the EXCELSIOR New York design. The most plentiful of those is
W-5785 with the eagle above the state arms facing to the left. That
variety has a population of less than 30 pieces. The other four
varieties have the eagle facing to the right, including this George
Clinton copper, and each of those varieties has a population of 16
or fewer examples.The subject of this coin, George Clinton (1739-1812) was the first governor of New York, serving seven terms. He was a general of the New York Militia in the Continental Army. Later, Clinton served as Vice President during Jefferson's second term and in Madison's first term, still in office when he died in April 1812.
John J. Ford, Jr. wrote a detailed article about the Clinton cent that was published in the May 2004 Ford catalog, Part II. In that article, he wrote:
"Two of the finest specimens known of the George Clinton Cent are owned by Messrs. F.C.C. Boyd and Eric P. Newman. ... After careful examination, it would be safe to state that both are almost identical in condition. The ... Boyd specimen ... originally came from the collection of Dr. Thomas Hall. It later appeared as Lot no. 142 in the catalogue of the Jackman collection, sold by Henry Chapman in June 1918 where it brought $470.00. Mr. Newman's piece came from Jim Kelly of Dayton Ohio who undoubtedly acquired it from B.G. Johnson of St. Louis. Before Mr. Johnson owned the coin, it came either from the Brand, Green or Newcomer collections."
The F.C.C. Boyd coin that Ford mentioned is the same coin offered here that NGC grades AU58. They grade the Newman coin MS63 Brown and that example appeared in our May 2014 auction of the Newman Collection.
Apparently the third finest known in private hands, this near-Mint copper exhibits partial obverse and reverse borders with CLINTON tight against the border but complete. Both sides exhibit lovely chocolate-brown with a splash of steel-brown on Clinton's cheek. Strong cartwheel luster is evident. Faint traces of mint red are evident upon close inspection.
Found in a Rhode Island Farmhouse in 1892. Ex: Dr. Thomas Hall; Allison Jackman (Henry Chapman, 6/1918), lot 142; Hillyer Ryder; Wayte Raymond; Theodore Grand Sale (Stack's, 12/1947), lot 14; Eric P. Newman; traded to F.C.C. Boyd in exchange for this 1792 Silver Center cent; John J. Ford, Jr.; Jon Hanson (5/6/1973); Donald G. Partrick.
Coin Index Numbers: (PCGS# 433)
Learn more at the Newman Numismatic Portal at Washington University in St. Louis.
View all of [The Donald G. Partrick Collection ]
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(Lots 3900-3973) - 5:00 PM Central Time, Thursday, January 21, 2021.
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