1787 CT 1/2P Arrows at Date, Miller 14-H, BN MS(PCGS#686370)

August 2023 Global Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

8266

Grade

AU55BN

Price

4,320

Lot Description

Interesting and Choice Miller 14-H The Garrett Coin; Overstruck 1787 Connecticut Copper. Miller 14-H, W-2895. Rarity-3. Mailed Bust Left, Arrows at Date. AU-55 (PCGS). 102.0 grains. The obverse is slightly microgranular in places but appears smooth and hard. It is glossy throughout and retains pleasing luster in the fields. This side is dark brown left of the portrait, fading into mottled ruddy brown over the remainder. The reverse is rich olive brown with light steely highlights. Centered just a trifle high relative to the obverse, and shifted similarly on the reverse, but not enough to have lost any denticles completely. The detail is quite good, particularly through the legends. Somewhat broad horizontal striations along the effigy's cheek point to a certain undertype. While we have not been able to solve the mystery, there are other elements to be considered. On the obverse, there is a flattened feature just left of the final phaeon, which connects to what seem like beads or leaves at the upper right corner of the shoulder mail. Other potentially related artifacts are at the upper rear of the effigy's neck. The reverse also exhibits one dramatic feature (guaranteeing an undertype of some kind), which can be seen as a series of closely aligned long curving lines through the globe. When turned upside down, this appears as lines of hair, with a prominent tie loop in the Connecticut's shield-following closely such lines on a Nova Eborac small head bust. This is probably solvable with enough time and patience and will make for an interesting numismatic project! Called "possible finest known" by Michael Hodder in May 2000, who also noted at the time that no 14-H was known with an undertype, though the artifacts seen here might "resolve themselves into evidence of one." He pointed only to areas of roughness and the prominent lines on the face of the effigy, however. Had he located the other artifacts, he certainly would have written this up as the only identified overstrike of the variety, as this detail becomes unmistakable with enough study. A fascinating and very attractive coin with an excellent provenance. Provenance: From the Sydney F. Martin Collection. Earlier ex the Col. James Ellsworth Collection; John Work Garrett; our (Bowers and Ruddy's) sale of the Garrett Collection, Part III, October 1980, lot 1359; our (Stack's) sale of May 2000, lot 37; Jim LaSarre, via John Agre and Dave Wnuck (Coin Rarities Online), June 2006. To view supplemental information and all items from the Sydney F. Martin Collection, click here. PCGS# 686370. Click here for certification details from PCGS. Image with the PCGS TrueView logo is obtained from and is subject to a license agreement with Collectors Universe, Inc. and its divisions PCGS and PSA.