1787 CT 1/2P Mailed Bust Left Half Penny

Coin Details

Description

The most common Connecticut copper bust style for 1787, the mailed bust left type shows an armored portrait facing left with the AUCTORI CONNEC legend on the obverse and a seated Liberty with ET LIB INDE on the reverse. The "mailed bust" terminology describes the chain mail armor visible on the portrait's shoulder, a design element borrowed from classical or British coinage traditions that lent an air of authority and military strength to the Connecticut copper series. Multiple die marriages exist for this type, making it the most readily available 1787 Connecticut variety and an ideal starting point for collectors entering the series. Cataloged as Miller 6-M and many related die marriages, with Whitman 2845, the common availability reflects the substantial volume of production during 1787, the peak year for Connecticut copper coinage. Connecticut coppers were authorized beginning in 1785, with production at facilities attributed to Abel Buell in New Haven, the Company for Coining Coppers, and possibly other operations. The sheer number of surviving mailed bust left specimens from 1787 indicates that this bust style dominated production that year, with numerous obverse and reverse dies cut in this format to meet demand. For advanced collectors, the journey through individual Miller die combinations within the mailed bust left category reveals subtle but diagnostic differences in portrait style, letter spacing, and die characteristics that transform a seemingly common type into a rich field of die study, with scarce individual pairings hidden within the broadly available type designation.

Rarity Notes

Common. The most available 1787 Connecticut copper type.

Cross References

Miller 6-M and many related die marriages; Whitman 2845