1787 CT 1/2P DB Left - AUCTOPI Half Penny

Coin Details

Description

Another distinctive obverse legend error from the prolific Miller 33-series of Connecticut copper dies, this 1787 half penny renders AUCTOPI instead of the correct AUCTORI, substituting the letters PI for the intended RI at the end of the Latin word for "authority." Struck in copper at approximately 6.8 grams with a 28.5 mm diameter and plain edge, the coin shows a draped bust facing left with the AUCTOPI CONNEC legend and a standard seated Liberty reverse with ET LIB INDE. Cataloged as Miller 33.14-Z.1 and Whitman 3005, with PCGS #376, this variety is classified as a moderately scarce legend error. The AUCTOPI blunder is particularly interesting because it changes not just a single letter but transforms the ending of the word into a combination that suggests the die sinker may have been working from memory or a partially legible model rather than a precise template, confusing the shapes of the reversed R and I with P and I when engraving the mirror-image text into the die face. Connecticut coppers were produced under state legislative authority from 1785 through 1788, with the 1787 date representing peak production. The extensive body of legend errors across the Miller 33-series provides numismatic researchers with a valuable dataset for studying how die sinkers approached the challenging task of engraving reversed Latin text, and each newly documented blunder adds to our understanding of the conditions under which these historically significant coins were manufactured.

Rarity Notes

Moderately scarce legend error.

Cross References

Miller 33.14-Z.1; Whitman 3005