Historic Brasher Doubloon and New York Coppers in PCGS Exhibit at ANA Philadelphia Show

One of the legendary 1787 gold Brasher Doubloons and seven of the finest-known 1780s New York colonial era copper coins will be displayed together for the first time in an educational exhibit hosted by Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) at the American Numismatic Association (ANA) 2018 Philadelphia World’s Fair of Money, August 14-18.

“The lettering and some design elements of all seven of these distinguished coins are punch linked, and each of these coins is an important part of early American history and numismatics. They will be exhibited at the PCGS Booth, #1431, during the 2018 ANA convention,” said PCGS President Don Willis.

The Brasher Doubloons are the first gold coins made in the United States proposed or intended for circulation. The design includes the obverse motto, NOVA EBORACA COLUMBIA EXCELSIOR (translated as “New York and America ever upward”).

The coin’s creator, Ephraim Brasher, was well known at the time as a silver and goldsmith and civic leader in New York City, and later was a neighbor of George Washington in lower Manhattan.

Only seven Brasher Doubloons are known; six with the designer’s “EB” hallmark on the eagle’s wing, one with it on the eagle’s breast. The coin that will be displayed in Philadelphia has the hallmark on the eagle’s right wing, and it is the discovery specimen for Brasher Doubloons that was first documented in 1840.

This famous coin was exhibited at the 1964 New York World’s Fair, was a featured display in a nationwide touring exhibit for the 1987 bicentennial of the United States Constitution, and was displayed at the Epcot theme park at Walt Disney World in 1988. The anonymous current owner of the Brasher Doubloon is described by PCGS as a “West Coast collector,” and the owner of the New York copper coins is described as “a New York dealer and collector.”

The seven New York copper pieces are all either the finest known or among the finest known of their kind. All have impressive pedigrees to one or more collections of well-known numismatists of the past, such as Parmelee, Stickney, Boyd, Garrett, Ford and/or Newman. The coins are:

• 1786 Small Head Non Vi Virtute Vici (“Not by force, but by virtue we have won”) with a portrait believed to be George Washington. Less than two dozen examples are known.
• 1787 Excelsior, Eagle facing left. This is the only Mint State example known and was formerly in the famous Garrett Collection.
• 1787 George Clinton cent, with New York coat of arms, less than a dozen known.
• 1787 Excelsior, Standing Indian/New York arms, one of only about 12 known.
• 1787 Excelsior, Standing Indian/Eagle on Globe design, one of the finest of only about 14 known.
• 1787 Nova Eborac (“New York”), rare Large Head variety, one of the finest of only a few dozen known.
• 1787 Nova Eborac, Small Head variety, less than a dozen known and closely linked to the Brasher Doubloons. This is the finest certified example and was formerly in the C.I. Bushnell and Eric P. Newman collections.

 

“PCGS is proud to work with the owners of these impressive, early American rare coins so visitors to the ANA convention can see and enjoy them in person,” said Willis. Since its founding in 1986, PCGS experts have certified over 38 million coins with a total market value of over $33 billion. For information about PCGS products and services, including how to submit your coins for authentication and grading, visit www.PCGS.com or call PCGS Customer Service at (800) 447-8848.