1787 Connecticut Copper. Miller 33.28-Z.16, W-3770. Rarity-4+. Draped Bust Left, Snipe Nose—Dr. Hall Ink on Edge—AU-55 (PCGS).153.5 grains. Light chestnut brown, featuring icy mint luster in the fields and lovely mint gloss that is the mark of original high grade coppers of the Confederation era. Surfaces are free of circulation marks, as this coin probably spent the briefest moment passing hand to hand, and just a few very fine undulating planchet inclusions are noted through obverse drapery and in upper left field. When held at a distance, two very faint characters (D2?) become visible across obverse effigy’s neck, perhaps the inventory marking of an early collector predating this coin’s entry into the Hall collection. Dr. Hall himself left his mark on this coin in the form of the white ink on edge attribution “33-24 Z-16” using his own attribution scheme published in 1892 that was modified to its “modern” form by Miller in 1920. Considered “Among the Finest Known” by Robert, it is indeed in good company with superb examples like the Stepney Hoard-1975 EAC coin called “AU, ” the “Choice EF” piece in the March 1986 B&M sale, and the superb AU Taylor primary coin. The Twin Leaf specimen, graded AU-53 by PCGS, is pretty but a bit less well struck and less lustrous than this coin; it brought $4200, a sign that the “Snipe Nose” is well regarded by collectors seeking an extended Red Book type set, while comparably rare, normal Draped Bust Lefts in similar grades bring far less. The Snipe Nose is one of the most distinctive variants in the series, named by Miller after the bisecting obverse die crack that is thickest where attached to obverse effigy’s nose, giving him the appearance of having lied too much. A superb survivor of this coveted type that will attract great attention at its first auction appearance in nearly 40 years.From the Robert M. Martin Collection. Ex Dr. Thomas Hall Collection; Virgil Brand Collection; Harold Bareford, via New Netherlands in October 1951; Stack’s Sale of the Harold Bareford Collection, October 22, 1981, lot 13.
