1787 CT 1/2P Mail Bust Left - CONNECT Half Penny

Coin Details

Description

Bearing the truncated obverse legend CONNECT rather than the standard CONNEC abbreviation, this 1787 Connecticut copper half penny adds a final T that creates an arguably more recognizable abbreviated form of "Connecticut" — though it departs from the prevailing convention used on most dies in the series. Struck in copper at approximately 7.5 grams with a 28.5 mm diameter and plain edge, the coin features a mailed bust facing left with AUCTORI CONNECT on the obverse and the standard seated Liberty with ET LIB INDE on the reverse. Cataloged as Miller 13-J and Whitman 2870, with PCGS #367, this variety is classified as moderately scarce. The CONNECT spelling represents one of several variant abbreviations of the state name found across Connecticut copper dies — alongside CONNEC (standard), CONNFC, CONNLC, and other blundered forms — and raises the question of whether the extra T was a deliberate choice by the die sinker to produce a more readable abbreviation or simply another variation in the inconsistent rendering of the state name. The Miller 13 obverse die, with its CONNECT legend and mailed bust portrait, produces a visually distinctive coin that experienced collectors can recognize without detailed die analysis. Connecticut coppers were produced during a brief four-year window from 1785 to 1788, and the full spectrum of legend variations documented across the series provides a comprehensive case study in the challenges of producing standardized inscriptions through hand-engraved dies in late 18th-century workshop conditions.

Rarity Notes

Moderately scarce.

Cross References

Miller 13-J; Whitman 2870