1787 Connecticut Copper. Miller 16.3-l.2, W-3015. Rarity-7+. Draped Bust Left. VG-10 (PCGS).140.9 grains. Mottled dark steel and tan on the obverse while the reverse is just a bit lighter in tone with considerably more tan. Lightly granular throughout, but still glossy and not at all unattractive for the grade. In fact, we feel that it is a bit sharper than indicated on the grading label. Small natural flaws are noted at the central obverse, partly obscuring the black India ink attribution numbers in the same area, which were not noted in our last offering of this coin. The reverse exhibits just one thin linear planchet flaw through Liberty’s torso. A few old scrapes are noted on the reverse. Fairly well centered with complete legends and the date nearly so, though the definition is a little soft in this area. A natural curved clip is noted over TOR of AUCTORI, but this does not affect any design features. As noted in our 2016 offering of this coin, “the Perkins cataloger knew of only six specimens of Miller 16.3-l.2, the example in that collection the second finest known after the permanently impounded ANS coin. The present example is only a bit softer than the Perkins piece, but the aforementioned damage knocks it down in the census. Missing from Taylor, Ford, Collection SLT and Craige.” This is the only example of this variety we have seen in recent years, perhaps since the Perkins sale, and it has a nice provenance back to the landmark Pine Tree 1975 EAC sale where Walter Breen suggested that it was “probably the Dr. Hall coin,” but without publishing any supporting evidence.From the Twin Leaf Collection of Connecticut & Massachusetts Coppers. Earlier ex Q. David Bowers, Pine Tree’s 1975 EAC Sale, February 1975:141; David Palmer; Anderson-Gleckler Collection, Stack’s Bowers, November 2016:5244.
