 1787 Connecticut copper. MBR. Small head. M.1.1-VV. R-7 (estimated). Very Fine. The finest of five seen. Miller Reverse Plate Coin. 123.0 gns. Light brown in color on both sides with a few areas darker, principally around the rims. Somewhat misshapen flan, the design on the obverse very tight at the lower right. Obverse slightly off center in that direction; the reverse a little off to the left but the major design details on that side were struck onto the flan. Very soft in appearance on both sides due entirely to the advanced and severely damaged states of both dies (for the obverse, compare the earlier states seen on the two preceding lots). Obverse and reverse surfaces a little granular, particularly on the front, small rim clip visible on that side at about 11:30.
The cataloguer has seen the following examples of this variety: this coin; two owned by a specialist at one time grading Choice Fine and Fine; Norweb:2497 at Very Good; and the Good ANS coin. There are probably others unseen but the fact that there was no M.1.1-VV in the Perkins sale should suggest the rarity of the variety. In his notebook on Connecticuts Dr. Hall tells the story of his discovery of the first 1.1-VV found, by accident in a lot of 250 Connecticuts he obtained from Charles Steigerwalt in November, 1897. Hall said that something struck him as peculiar about the reverse and after working on the coin with a needle discovered it was new. The second one was found in October, 1902 by DeWitt Smith, who gave it to Hall.
Ex Charles Steigerwalt on February 26, 1904. Square collector's ticket accompanies the lot.
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