1787 Connecticut Copper. Miller 16.6-NN.2, W-3035. Rarity-5+. Draped Bust Left. EF-40 (PCGS).138.0 grains. A Clark Obverse and Reverse Plate Coin. Ideally smooth and glossy tan surfaces, the sort you would have if you created your perfect Connecticut copper from scratch. The base of the obverse portrait is softly struck, as is the base of the reverse (this is struck in nearly perfect medal turn), though the date somehow survived to be struck up. A little tiny rim nick is noted below I of INDE, invisible natural lamination at first N of CONNEC. Just gorgeous. This variety was missing from the Ford Collection entirely, which is odd, since the granular Fine in Perkins included a note that "the finest appears to be the Hessberg coin, followed by two in the Ford primary collection" -- where did they go? The Hessberg coin was described as Mint State. This one is surely in the Condition Census somewhere, clearly surpassed by only the superb nearly Mint State coin sold in the Hessberg Collection. Interestingly, Craige noted it as "Dup, 2nd best." Perhaps he owned and preferred the better struck but more worn and more flawed EAC 75 coin? It was called "Finest we have seen of this great rarity."From the Robert M. Martin Collection. Ex our sale of the Ted L. Craige Collection, January 2013, lot 11123. Craige’s envelope is no longer extant.
