1787 Connecticut Copper. Miller 33.2-Z.17, W-3370. Rarity-6-. Draped Bust Left. EF-40 (PCGS).121.7 grains. A finely balanced, dark brown example, the high points worn to a lighter olive-tan, the surfaces displaying a uniform, microscopic granularity on both sides. The strike is about as sharp as you will see on this die marriage, the large rim to rim die crack on the reverse splitting the reverse into two planes, the upper three-quarters of the reverse being higher on the coin and thus wearing a bit faster than the lower one-quarter. Called “high condition census” in Robert’s notes and “possible second finest known” on his envelope. The Ford specimen, ex Miller, was called AU but a bit softly struck in the middle, is probably the finest known, while a coin in the September 1995 Bowers and Merena sale, called EF for sharpness with a largish obverse planchet flaw may rival this coin on the overall. Robert had assembled a complete set of all 5 die marriages using obverse 33.2, and this is a superb example of one of its rarer pairings.From the Robert M. Martin Collection. Ex Stack’s Sale of the Estate of Norman Bryant, February 2, 1973, part of lot 17; Stack’s Sale of May 13, 1982, lot 49, misattributed as 33.2-Z.5.
