1785 Connecticut Copper. Miller 2-A.4, W-2310. Rarity-5. Bust Right, Roman Head. AU-50 (PCGS). 131.3 grains. An incredible example of the scarcer Roman Head variety. Gorgeous light to medium brown surfaces have an overall high grade gloss and real mint frost subtly visible in the peripheral fields. Nicely struck on a rather broad planchet, the definition on the Roman Head effigy is about as full and sharp as is ever seen. Some detail on the reverse seated figure is not fully brought up, as is usually the case, and some natural planchet texture is seen in its place, but the detail that is there is sharp, barely worn and shows some seldom seen features such as fine details of the head, drapery, and two vines on the shield. A minor rim bruise over OR of AUCTORI and a tiny stain on the obverse rim near 12 oclock are the only post-strike imperfections to note on an overall lovely coin.<p>Of the two Roman Head varieties, 2-A.4 is clearly the scarcer and more condition sensitive. While 2-A.1 is somewhat available in VF and EF grades, the typical grade of a 2-A.4 is maybe Fine at best. Many prominent Connecticut copper collections have had to make do with a low grade specimen or have lacked this Miller number entirely. The only piece we are aware of that remotely approaches this in grade is a PCGS EF-45 coin that was sold in Heritages January 2020 FUN Auction. That piece has nice, glossy surfaces and solid EF detail, but is darker, slightly more worn, and struck from a later, weaker state of the dies leaving it not as sharp and nowhere near as impressive as the present coin. Not only does this appear to be the finest known example of the variety, but as a solid AU coin it ranks among the very finest specimens of the overall Roman Head type.<p>It is interesting to note an early illustration of a 1785 Connecticut copper in John H. Hickcoxs 1858 <em>An Historical Account of American Coinage</em>, Plate 3, no. 3, the subject for which appears to be a 1785 Roman Head, Miller 2-A.4. The head type is unmistakable, and the reverse shows the double curl at the base of the shield that is characteristic of the A.4 reverse as opposed to A.1. Obviously some artistic license was taken to fill out the definition of the effigy and seated figure for the plate as no Roman Head comes with that sort of detail, but its intriguing to note the similarities in centering between the Hickcox plate illustration and the present coin based on what portion of the dentils shows on each. Impossible to prove of course, but fun to speculate as to whether this could have been the very coin the engraver of the Hickcox plate had in hand when creating that image back in 1858. PCGS# 685150. From the Sydney F. Martin Collection. Earlier from Heritages August 1993 ANA Auction, lot 5013; Anthony Terranova Collection, January 2012.
