1787 Connecticut Copper. Miller 20-a.2, W-3055. Rarity-5. Draped Bust Left. AU-53 (PCGS).
142.5 grains. Lovely light chocolate brown on both sides with light steel toning on the high points. Glossy throughout with almost no marks worthy of mention other than a thin old scratch at the upper reverse. Centered just slightly high on the obverse, and slightly low on the reverse, but only the bases of the 17 in the date are compromised at all by the border. Very evenly struck with excellent detail and eye appeal - most of this variety are soft through the upper or central reverse, or are in much lower grades. The only example that seems to have surfaces as nice as this the coin offered in lot 121 of the 1975 EAC sale and lot 2402 of the 1990 San Diego ANA sale, which was called Uncirculated by ANACS in the latter offering. That was centered almost exactly like this, but much weaker through the upper reverse. Even if that could be called Uncirculated today, it would be easy to argue that the Martin specimen is the more desirable coin. The Hessberg Collection, sold by us (Stack's) in 1991 included a very similar piece, ex Dr. Hall, which was described by Robert Martin as "a bit dark." This is noted as "finest known" on the Partrick envelope. Nothing nearly as nice as this is to be found in our archives, while even the Newman coin was graded only VG-10 (NGC). This is plated in the Randall Clark reference.
PCGS# 370. NGC ID: 2B2X.
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From the Sydney F. Martin Collection. Earlier from our (Bowers and Merena's) sale of September 1984, lot 634; our (Bowers and Merena's) sale of August 1999, lot 1016; Anthony Terranova; Jon Hanson, November 2000; Heritage's sale of the Donald G. Partrick Collection, November 2020, lot 44142.

Estimate: $4250