1787 Connecticut Copper. Miller 33.32-Z.13, W-3830. Rarity-1. Draped Bust Left—Counterstamped M. RITTER. Brunk-not listed—Dr. Hall Ink on Edge—EF-45 (PCGS).129.8 grains. Rich chocolate brown and lustrous, with the appearance and glossy surface quality of an AU coin. Well centered and relatively well struck on a superior flan that shows some irregularity only on its edge that does not affect the designs or legends in any way. Counterstamped M. RITTER once on each side, more boldly so on the reverse than the obverse. Michael Ritter was a goldsmith and jeweler active in New York City ca.1786 to 1804. The existence of this same die pairing with the N YORK mark of John Burger also in this sale perhaps places a quantity of 33.32-Z.13 Connecticuts in lower Manhattan in the late 1780s! If this coin is indeed from the Dr. Hall collection, as seemingly indicated by the distinctive white ink on edge “33-35 Z-13” attribution using Dr. Hall’s 1892 attribution scheme, this coin came from the Dr. Hall collection at a very early date, as it was recorded as having been purchased by Albert Holden before 1913. The other possibility is that the provenance was confused with one of the ones in this Norweb group lot that came from Richard Picker, and it was purchased by Picker from New Netherlands in the 1950s and sold to Emery May Norweb in the 1950s. Whatever the provenance, a fascinating counterstamped Connecticut copper.From the Robert M. Martin Collection. Ex Dr. Thomas Hall Collection; Albert Holden Collection, purchased before 1913; Bowers and Merena’s Sale of the Norweb Collection, Part II, March 24-25, 1988, part of lot 2557.
