1785 CT 1/2P Bust Right Half Penny

Coin Details

Auction Record

$4,994 • MS65 BN • 11-2019 • Heritage Auctions

Description

The most available Connecticut copper type for the 1785 date, this bust-right halfpenny is cataloged across numerous die marriages including Miller 3.1-F.3, 3.2-F.2, 3.3-F.2, and other combinations, with Whitman numbers spanning 2300 through 2340. Struck in copper at 6.7 grams with a 28.5 mm diameter and plain edge, and identified as PCGS #316, a superb MS65 BN example realized $4,994 at Heritage Auctions in November 2019 — a strong price reflecting the extreme difficulty of finding Connecticut coppers in gem uncirculated preservation. The obverse features a mailed bust facing right with the AUCTORI CONNEC legend, a classically inspired portrait type derived from late Roman imperial coin designs that was standard across much of Connecticut's copper coinage production. The reverse displays the seated Liberty figure holding an olive branch with the INDE ET LIB (Independence and Liberty) motto and date. Connecticut's authorization of copper coinage in 1785 launched a prolific four-year production run that generated more die varieties than any other state copper series, with the Miller numbering system cataloging hundreds of distinct die marriages. The bust-right orientation for 1785, being the most common type for that date, offers the best opportunity for collectors to acquire a first-year Connecticut copper in presentable condition, though even "common" varieties in this series are far scarcer in absolute terms than most federally issued coins of the same era.

Rarity Notes

Common for the series. The most available 1785 Connecticut copper type.

Cross References

Miller 3.1-F.3, 3.2-F.2, 3.3-F.2, and other die marriages; Whitman 2300-2340