1788 CT 1/2P Georgivs III Obverse Half Penny

Coin Details

Description

One of the most historically revealing pieces in the Connecticut copper series, this 1788 half penny is a die muling that combines a genuine British George III halfpenny obverse die with a Connecticut reverse die. The existence of this muling provides direct physical evidence of the connection between state copper coinage production and counterfeit British halfpenny manufacturing at the same minting facilities — a link that numismatic historians have long suspected but that can be conclusively demonstrated through surviving muled specimens like this one. Struck in copper, the coin follows Connecticut copper specifications and is cataloged as Miller 1-D in the Henry Miller reference system for Connecticut coppers, with Whitman 3137 and PCGS #45422. The reverse carries the standard Connecticut design with a seated Liberty figure and the ET LIB INDE legend (abbreviating Et Libertatem et Independentiam — "Both Liberty and Independence"). The British obverse die depicting George III would have been used primarily for producing counterfeit British halfpennies for export or local circulation, a profitable but illegal enterprise that several Confederation-era minting operations conducted alongside their authorized state coinage contracts. Very rare by any measure, British-Connecticut die mulings are among the most important pieces for understanding how operators like Abel Buell and others managed their die inventories across both legitimate and illicit coinage production, sometimes mixing dies from separate programs either accidentally during press setup or deliberately as test pieces.

Rarity Notes

Very rare. British/Connecticut die mulings are rare and important for understanding mint operations.

Cross References

Miller 1-D; Whitman 3137