You Vs. TPG: 1783 Nova Constellatio

I'm not qualified to offer a grade opinion, but it's a handsome example.

wow pretty sweet thats my grade

It's an interesting example due to the weakness of the devices: is it caused by striking, or by wear?
In this case, there is also peripheral weakness so I'm tending more towards wear. All in all, I would grade it about F12-F15.

By the way, this example in my collection shows something similar: sharp reverse and all peripheral devices, but very weak central obverse. How would one grade such an example?

I think that both coins are fairly nice because both coins show planchets largely devoid of corrosion. There is discoloration but the pitting is very limited. Germanicvs' coin also shows very pleasing natural color. OP's coin looks a little red but that may be from the lighting.

The issue in both coins is that the US in the reverse is largely missing - completely in the first example and half in the second. If we think about why these coins are collected, the US in the design is generally the most important. 1783 was when the American Revolutionary War ended and this is generally the first coin, albeit a private issue, that showed the name of the new country after the War. This coin is dated four years before the Fugio cents. The 1776 continental currency coin, widely collected for its 1776 date shows a chain uniting the states by name but does not refer to the new country by name.

It is also interesting that one of the private issuers of the coin was Robert Morris who was the Superintendent of Finance of the United States from 1781 to 1784, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and a founder of the US financial system. This was the first commercial issue that bore the name of the new, fledgling United States copying the first US patterns, the nova constellatio patterns made in Philadelphia.

For this reason, having coins with the US inscription is a big deal and collectors will seek and pay a good premium for coins with that device prominently showing.

shantiom, this coin is not one of the Philadelphia Nova Constellatio patterns. This is the Crosby 2-B with pointed rays and the small US. These issues were struck in Birmingham, England not Philadelphia and were commissioned by NY firm Constable, Rucker and Co. William Constable was one of the wealthiest traders in NY commissioning ships to China and India in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Here is a letter from Robert Morris to George Washington introducing William Constable and John Rucker as honest and able businessmen. This probably was written as Robert Morris was leaving his post as Superintendent of Finance in the new U.S. Government and letting Washington know of his intent to join Constable and Rucker in a new business venture which eventually commissioned these coppers in England.
https://founders.archives.gov/docum...02-0315-0001

Although dated 1783, these were actually struck circa 1785.
https://emuseum.nyhistory.org/objec...latio-copper

Here you can see the main varieties of patterns and English struck coins.
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/un...deral-2.html