1786 Connecticut Copper. Miller 2.2-D.2, W-2475. Rarity-6. Mailed Bust Right, Broad Shouldered or Noble Head. Fine-15 (PCGS). 117.1 grains. A Clark Obverse Plate Coin. One of Robert’s very favorite die marriages, and one of which he had owned at least 5 examples during his collecting lifetime. His lowest grade example was sold or traded during his lifetime, while two examples were sold in our November 2019 auction of the bulk of his collection. This piece is catalogued as “Fine for the variety, Among Finest Known, Extremely Rare” on his collection envelope, and these terse words just about sum up this coin, though this coin is referred to elsewhere in Robert’s notes as “VF.” The coin is about as sharply detailed as one will readily find on examples of this die marriage, as the dies were shallowly cut and the coins are often shallowly struck, leaving little detail to work with. Even the glorious NGC EF45+ Newman coin is not appreciably more detailed than this coin, it just has superior color and surfaces. Dark brown with lighter tan highlights and hard, glossy surfaces, with positive eye appeal for a very that is usually found in far worse condition. The strike is ill-centered on a flan much too small to accommodate the entirety of the legends, the obverse centered toward 1 o’clock, resulting in the loss of the tops of a few letters, while the reverse is centered toward 7 o’clock, wholly cutting off the date and portions of IN(DE) while bringing the reverse die’s distinctive sawtooth denticles into full view from 10 o’clock to 3 o’clock. This example is the second finest of the examples that Robert accumulated during his collecting years, and is notably absent the post-strike flaws or poor surfaces that are found on survivors of die marriage. Here is an opportunity to acquire a superior example of this very rare Miller number, and the recent embarrassment of riches from the dispersal of Robert’s collection will be but a momentary blip on the radar screen of Connecticut coppers once the auctioneer’s hammer falls, as all the searching in the world will not quickly produce a comparably nice example. From the Robert M. Martin Collection. Purchased from Mike Ringo, January 14, 1992.
