1787 CT 1/2P Draped Bust Left - AUCTOBI Half Penny

Coin Details

Description

Cataloged as Miller 33.16-Z.3 and Whitman 2990, this 1787 Connecticut copper half penny exhibits the garbled obverse legend AUCTOBI — a corruption of AUCTORI (part of the full legend AUCTORI CONNEC, meaning "By the Authority of Connecticut"). The AUCTOBI blunder substitutes a B for the R and drops the final I, producing nonsensical Latin that nevertheless did not prevent the coin from circulating in a marketplace accustomed to accepting coppers of varying quality and legibility. The obverse features a draped bust facing left, the most common portrait orientation for the 1787 Connecticut coppers, while the reverse carries the standard seated Liberty with INDE ET LIB. Connecticut's copper coinage, authorized by the state legislature in October 1785, was produced by private contractors whose profit margins depended on minimizing production costs — including the time and care invested in die preparation, which accounts for the frequency of legend blunders across the series. Struck in copper, the coin weighs approximately 6.8 grams with a 28.5 mm diameter and plain edge. Cataloged as PCGS #379. Classified as a scarce legend error variety, the AUCTOBI blunder is notable because it corrupts the authority claim itself rather than the state name, essentially rendering the assertion of minting legitimacy unreadable — an ironic outcome for a coinage whose very existence depended on a claim of governmental authorization.

Rarity Notes

Scarce legend error variety.

Cross References

Miller 33.16-Z.3; Whitman 2990