1787 Connecticut Copper. Miller 29.1-p, W-3155. Rarity-5. Draped Bust Left. EF-45 (PCGS).139.4 grains. Lovely light olive brown with subtle overtones of steely gray toning on the reverse. A couple of very thin scratches are noted near Liberty’s pole hand, though there are no serious marks worthy of mention. Similarly, there are lightly striated natural planchet flaws on both sides, but these are very minor and barely noticeable without magnification. Fairly well struck and decently centered with only the tops of INDE against the rim. The date is clear, if a little soft at the bases. This is easily the nicest example of the variety we have seen in a long time. The best of Taylor’s two was sharper than this one, but marred by a large counterstamp in the central obverse. His second was quite inferior. This is finer overall than the Perkins, Ford, Collection SLT and Newman coins. The variety was missing from Norweb and Oechsner. The Q. David Bowers coin in the 1975 Pine Tree sale seems to have been marginally finer, as is the Canfield specimen in the ANS. The Edward Hessberg coin is likely the finest, as it was called Mint State in our June 1991 sale. This example is almost certainly comfortably positioned in the Condition Census.From the Twin Leaf Collection of Connecticut & Massachusetts Coppers. Earlier ex Anthony Terranova, 2001.
