1786 Connecticut Copper. Miller 5.3-G, W-2570. Rarity-7+ (effectively Rarity-8). Mailed Bust Left, Hercules Head. VF-25 (PCGS).142.5 grains. Dies oriented at 210 degrees. Only 3 were known of this very rare die combination for the better part of a century until cherrypicker extraordinaire Mike Ringo turned up this fourth known example and sold it Robert in early 1990. About EF or so from the standpoint of wear, this coin’s dark brown surfaces are a bit rough in the fields, a combination of a minor case of the planchet flaws that plague many Hercules Head coppers and its natural patina gained during its more than two centuries in existence. The obverse effigy’s epaulet and the corresponding area of the reverse show some post-strike flattening. Finest known honors go either to the Newman Coin, ex Dr. Hall, and graded NGC MS62, or the coin in the ANS Collection, called “Almost Extremely Fine” but displaying a better overall strike and fewer planchet flaws than the Newman coin. The 1975 Pine Tree EAC sale coin is less well detailed than the present coin with surfaces described as “dark rough patina, minor planchet defects, ” so whether this coin or the Pine Tree EAC sale coin comes next in a census remains a tossup. Though technically R-7+, the Miller 5.3-G combination is effectively R-8 as far as the market is concerned, with just 3 specimens available for private acquisition. The superior Newman coin brought nearly $100, 000 when it hit the market in 2014, and is now ensconced in an advanced Connecticut coppers collection. A full 30 years have elapsed since the discovery and private sale of this example, and another one may or may not come into the market in the near future, making this coin pivotal for one lucky collector to advance the completeness of his or her collection. The Hercules Head designation has its origins in the 1859 <em>Numismatical Manual</em> by Montroville Dickeson who wrote “…the workmanship differs from any of the whole series…the die being deeper, and hence the muscular development of feature surpasses any other issue. To distinguish it, I have called it the type Hercules.” The Hercules name was used by Crosby, then by Hall and codified as “Hercules Head” by Miller, a name that remains in popular use today.From the Robert M. Martin Collection. Purchased from Mike Ringo, January 10, 1990.
