1787 CT 1/2P DB Left, Miller 33.4-Z.2, BN MS(PCGS#685169)

Spring 2019 Baltimore U.S. Coins Auction

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

8221

Grade

VF35BN

Price

1,920

Lot Description

Henry Miller’s 1787 Miller 33.4-Z.2 High Condition Census 1787 Connecticut Copper. Miller 33.4-Z.2, W-3410. Rarity-7-. Draped Bust Left. VF-35 (PCGS). 132.7 grains. Consistent patina on both sides with deep olive and steel brown through the fields and slightly lighter brown on the motifs. The glossiness is appealing and uniform, though upon close inspection the surfaces are evenly microgranular. A couple of small nicks in the left obverse field join a single tiny natural flaw, while the reverse has no such impairments. Minor scattered tiny lumps and general roughness around the central reverse from old oxidation that now seems quite stable and hard. Centered slightly lower and to the left on the obverse with the first letters of AUCTORI against the rim. The reverse centering is a little more off, but the only related loss is about 60% of the date digits. A fairly even strike allowed this piece to retain good balance of detail throughout. An important example of this quite rare variety called “outstanding” and “the finest seen” by Michael Hodder when he cataloged it for our 2005 Ford sale where it brought $6,900. Other appearances of this variety in our sales have yielded nothing that could easily be called superior to it. It is similar to the Taylor-Perkins coin for sharpness, though that piece had notable obverse flaws and a retained reverse lamination. When it was sold in 2000, it was called Condition Census, behind this specimen and Hessberg’s, which was unplated. Norweb had one, but it was low grade. There was none in Oechsner or Newman. Our 2012 offering of the Collection SLT coins revealed the only coin that might challenge this one as far as we are aware. The sharpness might be just a trifle better, but the surfaces were rough and considerably more flawed than seen here. The present coin was Henry Miller’s own, edging out the other in terms of desirability even if all else was equal. Provenance: From the Twin Leaf Collection of Connecticut & Massachusetts Coppers. Earlier ex Henry C. Miller, Thomas Elder, May 1920:1970; Hillyer C. Ryder (tag included); F.C.C. Boyd; John J. Ford, Jr., Stack’s, Ford Part IX, May 2005:359. Click here for certification details from PCGS.