FUGIO CENT UPDATE: THE GRADING VERDICT IS IN!

[ColonialDude]

As promised...I am providing everyone who has been watching this thread with an update on my Fugio cent. The coin is on route back to me as I type this...

Here is some info from an e-mail from ANACS:

Date Denom Grade Variety Superlative
1787 1C VF FUGIO K-4E BR

The variety is also known as a Newman 4E...which I believe some posters suggested.

Redbook value is I believe around $2000.00 U.S...of course it would never fetch that at auction...but it beats a $50.00 coin!

Thanks everyone for your interest and comments on this coin. Certainly my best coin find to date! The second best being a very rare blacksmith token.


not on Canadian soil at least!

I escaped the house again today, but only for an hour...I was actually out trying to help out a guy that wanted some tips and tricks on collecting indian artifacts and arrowheads. He wanted pointers on what to look for and where to look.

I figured I would go along, help out where I can, and maybe find an arrowhead or two...

we hit a little plateau near the river. The field had JUST been plowed, and not rained on yet...so visibility sucked, and I wasn't expecting to find much.

As I walked up the crest of a little knoll, I noticed a piece of glass...then another....about 4 in total...then there it was, laying flat on the surface....and I knew from 10 feet away it was a coin. However, I didn't know what it was, as it was caked with dirt and crust. I put it in my pocket and decided to wait to clean it up and home and check it out.

Over the next little bit I found two nice old flat buttons, one pewter, crusty, but I can make out a design. The other silver plated.

Anyhow, I was shocked when I got it home and cleaned it up. I knew instantly what I had, as these coins are hard not to recognize. The first American penny ever made I'm pumped! I am not sure if it is damaged, or if it was perhaps a die flaw It doesn't really seem like later damage to me.

Again, these finds were eyeballed in a field where not much was showing as it hasn't been rained on yet. I can't wait to get back there with my detector and see what I can find!!

 

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[ColonialDude]

Re: I never thought I would find one of these!!!!

Well, if it's a 4e, it's not one of the REALLY rare ones hahah still scarce enough though

 

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[Dman]

Re: I never thought I would find one of these!!!!

Nice find

 

[gregd573]

Re: I never thought I would find one of these!!!!

Great find abd here's a little Red Book 2006 reading for ya. Hope this helps.......keep us in the loop on your other finds......green with envy here.....gregd573..

 

[Jeffro]

Re: I never thought I would find one of these!!!!

I just have the redbook, and I'm no expert on the different varieties, but it appears to me you have the 1787 with club rays, rounded ends. VF it goes for $2400. F it goes for $1000. Your's is more than likely one of those two figures. Way nice find, again....

 

[l.cutler]

Re: I never thought I would find one of these!!!!

I am not sure where the Redbook comes up with those prices, they are very high. There are two types of round end club rays, 3D and 4E. The 3D is the rarer of the two, but that price is high even for the 3D. I found a nice Fine 4E, much nicer than this piece that sold for $518 and a Choice VF for $1600. I would say this one is probably VG. Fugios don't seem to be found very often in comparison to the state coppers and yours is a beauty. The club rays are usually in low grade with poor surfaces so yours is nicer than the average one. Great find, definitely a keeper!

 

[Smokey]

Re: I never thought I would find one of these!!!!

That's a nice find!!!
Down here at the mexican border with south texas I found yesterday a 1965 1 Cent from Canada burried 5" deep.

55TXBANDIT

 

[EDDE]

Re: I never thought I would find one of these!!!!

insert posting to beat the dead horse

 

[kieser sousa/rip]

Re: I never thought I would find one of these!!!!

Sweet ! A friend of mine found a Fugio last year,We also were looking for arrowheads.We started finding glass brick etc.,came back with the detectors and found lots of goodies ! I'll bet you do the same !Good luck,sounds like a great spot to search !

 

[bootstrap vinn]

Re: I never thought I would find one of these!!!!

Great find wess,I've never seen one before,WTG!! Bootstrap

 

[halfdime]

Re: I never thought I would find one of these!!!!

Wow, that is some coin! I'd never even heard of it before; there is always something to learn here.

 

[Southcacalaky]

Re: I never thought I would find one of these!!!!

Awesome coin WTG Art...

 

[bjw]

Re: I never thought I would find one of these!!!!

that is one SUPER FIND! Congrats!
BJW

 

[Eljeef]

Re: I never thought I would find one of these!!!!

8) Just had to chime in. Way to go Wess. See you later. I have my own spot to look for points. I think I should make the effort and actually go looking.

 

[ColonialDude]

Re: I never thought I would find one of these!!!!

Thanks folks...and good luck Jeff! Let me know if you need some pointers

 

[RUDY2003]

Re: I never thought I would find one of these!!!!

Just wanted to say SPECTACULAR FIND!!!!!!!

 

[99Brown]

Re: I never thought I would find one of these!!!!

Find of a lifetime. Sweet digs Wess. WTG!!

 

[Michigan Badger]

Re: I never thought I would find one of these!!!!

Great loyalist find! When those folks moved up to Canada they took many great early colonial items with them. Over the years I've purchased nice early colonial coppers from a Canadian coinshooter. He finds lots of them at the loyalist camps.

Best to you and congrats on the super find.

Badger

 

[Don in SJ]

Re: I never thought I would find one of these!!!!

Wes, excellent find "North of the Border" I spent some time last night looking at my colonial coin auction catalogs and some on-line auction prices (NOT e-bay).

Since collectors are finicky about corrosion, and color and such, even in the Federation era coins, I will give my opinion on what I think it might graded as and possible worth.
My estimates are only amaueter estimates and don't take it to the bank on what I say, but I am fairly certain I am in the ballpark.

Yes, it is a N.4-E, I really do not see much difference on the Club Ray side from the N-3.D which is more common than the E that you have found but when I compared photos of a 3.D against a 4.E, I did notice the one ray going to the star above the date, goes more directly closer to the center of the star and on the 3.D is goes to the lower side, so that was enough difference for me to agree on the 4.E attribution.

I looked at an colonial coin auction that was held this past December and also at some other online auctions. There were two 4.E's in that auction and one did not sell, and the other one went for over 900 dollars. One was a VF40, but with environmental damage (microscopic roughness under an olive tone patina) and that one did not sell. The other one that sold for over 900 dollars, was a VF20, but had a glossy light to medium brown toning and only one tiny mark. It seems eye appeal is a lot of this series selling.

I do not think your coin would grade higher than VF20, more likely a Fine grade with environmental damage and rim damage and some downing for the void on it. Very hard to tell overall condition from the photo.

Not knowing much more about Fugio's but going from what I have seen on the auctions, your's could vary greatly and be anywhere from 150 -600, maybe more, but I would stay more on the conservative lower side of that guesstimate on my part.

I think you have found a beautiful piece, I know the condition is rather good for a ground found and it would look good in any of our collections.

Don

 

[lucky1777]

Re: I never thought I would find one of these!!!!

Congratulations on a very nice find....

 

[ColonialDude]

Re: I never thought I would find one of these!!!!

Thanks again everyone.