1786 CT 1/2P Sm Head ET LIB INDE Half Penny

Coin Details

Description

Distinguished by its notably smaller portrait punch, this 1786 Connecticut copper halfpenny features the small head bust right with AUCTORI CONNEC on the obverse and ET LIB INDE on the reverse. Cataloged under Miller 1-A, 2-A, and related (Whitman 2465-2475), the small head uses a visibly smaller portrait punch than standard-size bust varieties. ET LIB INDE abbreviates "Et Libertatem et Independentiam" ("Both Liberty and Independence"); AUCTORI CONNEC abbreviates "By the Authority of Connecticut." The small head style is distinctive among 1786 issues, likely representing a specific die sinker within the network of subcontractors who produced Connecticut coppers under the state's 1785 authorization. Multiple die sinkers — Abel Buell, James Atlee, Machin's Mills operators — created dies that were sometimes interchanged between facilities. The compact portrait creates a different aesthetic balance with more field space. The Whitman range encompasses multiple die marriages sharing the small head characteristic. These copper halfpence circulated alongside state coppers and foreign coins during the Confederation period. Scarce.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. The small head style is distinctive among 1786 issues.

Cross References

Miller 1-A, 2-A, and related; Whitman 2465-2475