1787 Connecticut Copper. Miller 16.5-p, W-3030. Rarity-7. Draped Bust Left. VG Details—Environmental Damage (NGC).Pleasing medium brown color is quite uniform on both sides. Examined closely, the surfaces are granular throughout with some ancient abrasions in the fields that were curiously omitted from the description when this piece was last described. Struck a little off center and unevenly on both sides with some resulting weakness behind the effigy and to the lower right of Liberty. AUCTORI and INDE are relatively sharp, while the remaining legends are soft. A very rare variety that is a real challenge to acquire and certainly to acquire with any degree of quality. The Taylor coin was graded Good-4 and called “dark and porous.” That coin was ranked as third finest by Robert Martin in his annotations of the Perkins sale, behind the Ford coin and the 1975 EAC example. This piece was sixth in his list. The Ford coin was vastly sharper, but it would be hard to call it “nice” due to the large, oxidized planchet flaw streaked through the face of the effigy. Notwithstanding, it sold for $13,800 in 2005. The present coin is certainly nicer than the Perkins coin, and none was included in Norweb, Oechsner, Hessberg, Collection SLT or the holdings of the ANS.From the Twin Leaf Collection of Connecticut & Massachusetts Coppers. Earlier ex Bowers and Ruddy, January 1972; W. Philip Keller, Heritage, October 2010:3200.
