1787 Connecticut Copper. Miller 33.2-Z.12, W-3360. Rarity-1. Draped Bust Left. AU-53 (PCGS).134.5 grains. Though common, this variety does not frequently come nice and here is an outstanding specimen. Lovely golden brown with lighter reddish-brown tones in and around the lettering where the original mint color was last to fade. Fields boast plentiful luster, the worn dies having created an abundance of flow lines that are the secret behind a boldly lustrous coin. Relatively well centered, the bottoms of the date just grazing the rim. There is no notable circulation or even any planchet striations to mention. The strike of obverse effigy’s head and Liberty’s gown and globe is a bit soft, as are nearly all high quality survivors of this die marriage, and when they are better struck, they are flawed. This coin is very similar in quality to the Ford specimen, which was also called “About Uncirculated. A superior specimen” and noted as “one of the best seen by the cataloguer, ” though its overall strike is softer than this one and realized $3, 450 in our 2005 sale. Taylor’s was also similar though flawed, and the Pine Tree 1975 EAC coin seems better. Still, this is finer than Norweb’s, Oechsner’s, Hessberg’s, the Collection SLT coin, Newman’s and all in the care of the ANS. The recently sold Twin Leaf coin, graded AU-55 and with similar luster and strike, brought $1620.From the Robert M. Martin Collection. Provenance not recorded.
