1788 CT 1/2P Mailed Bust Left Half Penny

Coin Details

Description

Featuring an armored or "mailed" bust facing left, this 1788 Connecticut copper half penny depicts the portrait wearing chain mail on the shoulder — a military-style representation that distinguishes the mailed bust type from the more civilian-appearing draped bust variants. The mailed bust design may reference either classical Roman military portraiture or contemporary British coinage conventions, both of which influenced die sinkers working on American state coppers during the Confederation period. Struck in copper at approximately 7.5 grams — notably heavier than some other Connecticut issues — with a 28.5 mm diameter and plain edge, the obverse bears the AUCTORI CONNEC legend alongside the armored portrait, while the reverse features the standard seated Liberty with ET LIB INDE. Cataloged as Miller 4-D and related die marriages, with Whitman 3165 and PCGS #403, the 1788 mailed bust left type is described as common for 1788 Connecticut coppers, providing an accessible example of this distinctive bust style. The 1788 date represents the final year of Connecticut copper production, coinciding with the state's ratification of the U.S. Constitution on January 9, 1788. The coexistence of both mailed and draped bust types across the same year indicates that dies of both styles were in simultaneous production, likely prepared by different engravers whose stylistic preferences or working templates led them to adopt different portrait conventions for what was nominally the same coinage program.

Rarity Notes

Common for 1788 Connecticut coppers.

Cross References

Miller 4-D and related; Whitman 3165