1787 Connecticut Copper. Miller 43.2-X.4, W-3235. Rarity-5. Draped Bust Left, CONNFC. MS-62BN (PCGS).125.27 grains. Attractive medium brown with steely luster in the fields and traces of faded red in some of the obverse recesses. On the reverse, there is quite a bit more original red making for a very handsome example. A natural fissure passes through the back of the effigys head, while the reverse exhibits only trivial natural flaws that are barely noticed, let alone distracting. Somewhat softly struck at the centers, but both sides are nicely aligned on the flan with only small parts of the date digits lost to the rim. A coin from an old New England Collection, likely off the market for more than a century, and therefore new to the Census. This example is easily finer than any in our online archives. John Ford and Robert Martin did not have this variety at all, while the Twin Leaf coin was graded only VF-20. Looking farther back, it is clear that this piece is considerably finer than the Hessberg specimen, Perkins:479 (which was called "High Condition Census"), and both Oechsner coins. It is also nicer than the Taylor coin, which was called "EF-40" and deemed finer than the 1975 EAC, ANS and Yale University examples. That doesnt leave much to compete with this coin for the higher end of the Condition Census. It may, in fact, be the finest known example.PCGS: #382 and #687375
