(1737) Higley Copper Threepence - Broad Axe, VALUE ME AS YOU PLEASE

Coin Details

Auction Record

$56,400 • F12 PCGS • 08-2014 • Heritage Auctions

Description

Attributed to circa 1737 — slightly earlier than the dated 1739 issue — this Higley Copper Threepence with broad axe reverse and the legend "VALUE ME AS YOU PLEASE" represents an early production from the Higley family's copper mining and coining operation in Granby, Connecticut. Cataloged as W-8240, Freidus 3.3-C, Breen 242, and Crosby VIII-25, this variety is rated R.6+ with approximately 8-12 known examples. An auction record of $56,400 for an F12 PCGS specimen at Heritage Auctions in August 2014 confirms the intense demand for these quintessentially American colonial issues. The Higley coppers were produced by Dr. Samuel Higley and, after his death at sea in 1737, by his brother John, using copper extracted from their mine in Granby. Weighing approximately 9 grams with a 28 mm diameter and plain edge, these tokens are among the very few colonial American coins struck from domestically sourced metal rather than imported planchets or recycled foreign coins. The broad axe on the reverse represents the tools of the copper mining trade, while the "VALUE ME AS YOU PLEASE" legend — one of the most famous inscriptions in numismatic history — represents either a pragmatic response to merchants questioning the coins' stated threepence value or a philosophical declaration about the nature of monetary worth. This piece belongs to the Pre-1776 Private and Regional Issues (1616-1766) series and, together with the Crosby VIII-25 cross-reference, connects it to Sylvester Crosby's foundational 1875 reference on early American coinage.

Rarity Notes

R.6+. Approximately 8-12 known.

Cross References

W-8240, Freidus 3.3-C, Breen 242, Crosby VIII-25