1786 NJ 1/2P Protruding Tongue, BN AU55BN 认证号83558508, PCGS号521268

16-L (R2) DS3 Ex: (Stack's 6/28/12:1122); Q David Bowers (Stack's 8/13/19:497).

P. Scott Rubin

The 1786 New Jersey Copper known as the “Protruding Tongue” variety was caused by a die break on the obverse creating the image of an elongated tongue coming from the horse’s mouth. This obverse die was designated number 16 in the original 1880 work on New Jersey coppers by Edward Maris.

Maris’ Obverse 16 appears in four known die combinations: Maris 16-J, Maris 16-L, Maris 16-S and Maris 16-d. Early states of the dies are perfect and do not show the “tongue,” which develops later in the life of the die, and is usually seen only in the Maris 16-L combination. Fortunately for collectors, Maris 16-L is also the most plentiful of these four die varieties.

Maris 16-J is rare, with only about 30 specimens known – most, if not all, are from perfect dies and show no tongue. Maris 16-S was not known by Maris and was only discovered sometime in the 1970’s by coin dealers William “Bill” Pullen and his brother Norman Pullen, who was also a noted collector of New Jersey Currency and Coppers. This coin, currently known by only one Very Fine examples, shows no tongue. Maris 16-d was also not known by Maris and was discovered in 1893 by Dr. Thomas Hall, a noted colonial Copper collector. This die combination does not show the Protruding Tongue and is extremely rare with only four specimens reported.