1788 NJ 1/2P Fox Before Legend, BN VF30BN 认证号18663770, PCGS号524

Maris 75-bb

P. Scott Rubin

The 1788 New Jersey Coppers with the Running Fox image before the legend is an interesting group of coins. It contains two different varieties as listed in “A Guide Book of United States Coins” or Red Book, it is made up of three different obverse die varieties and has two different reverse die varieties. Add to this one of the die combinations, Maris 77-dd has three very distinct die states making the Running Fox before legend a fun sub group of New Jersey Coppers to collect.

The two different Red Book listed varieties are the standard Running Fox before legend and the Indistinct Coulter with Running Fox before legend. The Indistinct Coulter is represented by Maris 74-bb which in most cases shows a die break running though the area where the Coulter is making it hard to see, thus creating the variety. This same reverse die is used with another obverse die to create the Maris 75-bb combination which shows a distinct Coulter.

Included in the Running Fox before legend variety is the Maris 77-dd die combination which is known in three different die states. The first state shows no damage to either the obverse or reverse die. The second state shows damage to the central portion of the obverse die this led to the belief at one time that this was a different and the number Maris 78 was given to it. Today we know that the Maris 78-dd does not exist and that this is really the second die state of Maris 77-dd. Following the obverse damage the reverse of this die combination the Maris dd designation started to show die breaks that grow from the bottom of the image and in addition the obverse die Maris 77 shows more damage above the horse creating the third distinct die state.

All of the Running Fox series, both the Running Fox before legend and the Running Fox after legend, appear to be made by a different group of individuals than any of the other New Jersey coppers. It has been speculated that the Running Fox itself is a designers hallmark and the connection has been made to John Bailey of New York. This is the same John Bailey with connections to Ephraim Brasher of Brasher Doubloon fame.

Sources:
“A Guide Book of United States Coins”, by R.S. Yeoman, Kenneth Bressett (Senior Editor)
“New Jersey State Coppers”, by Roger S. Siboni, John L. Howes and A. Buell Ish