1787 Connecticut Copper. Miller 49.1-Z.1, W-4317. Rarity-6+. Draped Bust Left, INDE over INDN. Fine Details--Corrosion Removed (PCGS).

120.0 grains. Greenish olive and deep tan surfaces, with the more darkly toned areas being largely the depths of the rough porosity across both sides. The higher areas of relief are lighter and pleasantly discernible as a result. Struck on a clipped flan, the clip oddly enough following almost exactly the natural curvature of the tops of CON and impacting only the tips of the first two of these letters. Though rough, the obverse was still among those chosen to plate this rare variety in Clark. As discussed by Clark, the variety was known to Hall and Miller, but the obverse was not properly understood and published until 1991, when it was discussed in a Colonial Newsletter article. As far as we know, just 14 examples are known, and none are high grade. It seems that the Taylor-Partrick coin is the nicest, graded VF-20 by NGC, but even that coin had considerable peripheral weakness (clearly typical of the variety) and a large reverse planchet flaw. Most are lower grade, problematic, or both. The variety was not in the Perkins, Newman, Robert Martin or Rothschild collections, and none appeared in the landmark 1975 EAC sale, either. Collection SLT included a rough Fine that was not much better than this. That realized $13,800 in our January 2012 sale.

PCGS# 918315. NGC ID: 2B2X.

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From the Sydney F. Martin Collection. Earlier ex Richard August, November 2009.