1786 Connecticut Copper. Miller 5.4-G, W-2580. Rarity-2. Mailed Bust Left. AU-55 (PCGS).177.04 grains. Lovely chocolate brown surfaces are largely uniform in tone and unmarred by dramatic planchet flaws commonly found on Connecticuts. Beautifully struck with nice details throughout and rather good centering. The obverse alignment is shifted slightly toward 11:00, while the reverse is virtually perfect in this respect. Glossy surfaces with some light friction and scattered ancient nicks that one might expect for the grade, but the quality is superb overall. The nicest one we have handled is the former Eric P. Newman specimen we sold in our May 2019 sale for $15,600. That coin was higher grade (MS-62 PCGS), and might well be the finest in private hands. While the surfaces of this piece are not as nice, it is virtually identical in terms of centering and strike, and probably not far behind in terms of the overall eye appeal relative to the assigned grade. Easily finer than the Taylor, Oechsner, Perkins, Twin Leaf and Martin specimens and a bit nicer than the primary Ford coin. The better of the two in the 1975 EAC sale might be similar in sharpness, but this coin is centered better. From an old New England Collection and probably off the market for a century.PCGS: #331 and #686352
