1739 Higley Copper Threepence - Broad Axe, VALUE ME AS YOU PLEASE

Coin Details

Auction Record

Description

This 1739 Higley threepence has the obverse legend VALUE ME AS YOU PLEASE and a broad axe on the reverse. Samuel Higley mined copper near Granby, Connecticut, and with his brother John made the dies and struck these coppers from 1737; Samuel was lost at sea in 1737 and John carried on. Every obverse shows a deer: the first legend, THE VALVE OF THREE PENCE, gave way to VALVE ME AS YOU PLEASE and VALUE ME AS YOU PLEASE, and one die shows a wheel with THE WHEELE GOES ROUND. The reverses show three crowned hammers with CONNECTICVT or I AM GOOD COPPER, or a broad axe with J CUT MY WAY THROUGH. Daniel Freidus recorded 8 obverse and 5 reverse dies in 15 marriages. The dated broad axe reverse reads J CUT MY WAY THROUGH 1739 (Freidus D) and is paired with obverses 3.2 and 3.3 (Crosby 26); Freidus counted 12.

Rarity Notes

12 known (Freidus 1994)

Cross References

Freidus 3.2-D; Freidus 3.3-D; Crosby VIII-26