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

Coin Details

Description

Displaying the obverse legend error AUCIORI instead of the correct AUCTORI, this 1787 Connecticut copper half penny documents a die sinker's omission of the letter T from the Latin word for "authority" — reducing AUCTORI to AUCIORI through a single-letter deletion that alters the word's visual appearance while arguably preserving some phonetic recognizability. Struck in copper at approximately 6.8 grams with a 28.5 mm diameter and plain edge, the coin features a draped bust facing left with the blundered legend and a standard seated Liberty reverse with ET LIB INDE. Cataloged as Miller 33.7-Z.13 and Whitman 2980, with PCGS #373, this variety is classified as moderately scarce. The AUCIORI error is notable among Connecticut obverse legend blunders because it affects the AUCTORI portion of the legend rather than the more frequently blundered CONNEC portion, demonstrating that die sinkers sometimes struggled with both components of the inscription. Legend error varieties are popular with colonial copper specialists for their dual appeal: they are visually distinctive enough to identify on moderately worn specimens, and they provide documentary evidence about the die-cutting process and the level of classical language literacy among the craftsmen who produced Connecticut's state coinage. The Miller 33-series dies, where this variety resides, constitute one of the richest concentrations of legend errors in the entire Connecticut copper series, suggesting a specific engraver whose work was prolific but error-prone.

Rarity Notes

Moderately scarce. Legend error varieties are popular with colonial specialists.

Cross References

Miller 33.7-Z.13; Whitman 2980