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

Coin Details

Description

Bearing the obverse legend error CONNFC instead of the correct CONNEC (abbreviating Connecticutensis), this 1787 Connecticut copper half penny documents a die sinker's substitution of the letter F for the intended E in the state name abbreviation. Struck in copper at approximately 6.8 grams with a 28.5 mm diameter and plain edge, the coin displays a draped bust facing left on the obverse alongside the blundered AUCTORI CONNFC legend, with the standard seated Liberty and ET LIB INDE reverse. Cataloged as Miller 33.2-Z.4 and Whitman 2985, with PCGS #382, this variety is classified as moderately scarce. The CONNFC error belongs to a large family of obverse legend blunders on Connecticut coppers, which include CONNLC, AUCIORI, AUCTOPI, FNDE, and numerous other variations — collectively documenting the challenges faced by die sinkers who had to engrave mirror-image Latin text into steel dies by hand, a process requiring both literacy and precise spatial reasoning. The 33-series obverse dies in the Miller catalog are particularly rich in legend errors, suggesting that the engraver (or engravers) responsible for this group of dies was especially prone to letter substitution errors. Connecticut coppers were authorized by the state legislature in 1785, and the 1787 date represents the peak production year with the most extensive roster of known die combinations. For colonial copper specialists, building a collection of Connecticut legend error varieties offers an engaging sub-specialty that combines numismatic research with paleographic analysis.

Rarity Notes

Moderately scarce.

Cross References

Miller 33.2-Z.4; Whitman 2985