1786 Connecticut Copper. Miller 5.10-L, W-2650. Rarity-6-. Mailed Bust Left. VF-25 (PCGS).103.8 grains. Cleaned long ago with a few light obverse hairlines remaining. Though the surfaces have mostly toned back to light steel brown, the reverse is a bit deeper than the obverse. A bit of debris clings to the obverse legend and some of the recesses are still somewhat orange. Struck on a thin, broad flan of fairly light weight which provided ample room for the design features, though the centering is a bit high on the obverse and the border a bit tight toward 11:00. The same is true of the reverse, with small portions of the date digits off the flan.pThough noted as “pedigree unrecorded” in our Ford sale, the circle H tag reveals this coin to be formerly that of William Wallace Hays. His copy of the Hall notebook sheds further light, as he recorded his cost therein, matching the code on this tag. He noted Hall as his source. Painted variety numbers on the obverse, in white. An impressive provenance and off the market since the 2005 Ford, Part IX sale where it realized $3,220.From the Twin Leaf Collection of Connecticut & Massachusetts Coppers. Earlier ex Dr. Thomas Hall; William Wallace Hays (circled H tag); uncertain intermediaries; John J. Ford, Jr., Stack’s Ford Part IX, May 2005:274.
