1788 CT 1/2P Mailed Bust Rt - Sml Head Half Penny

Coin Details

Description

Cataloged as Miller 2-D and Whitman 3145, this 1788 Connecticut copper half penny features a mailed bust facing right with a notably small head — a portrait style that distinguishes it from the larger-headed bust varieties of the same year. The "mailed bust" designation refers to the chain mail or armor depicted on the bust's shoulder, a stylistic element borrowed from contemporary British halfpenny designs that Connecticut's die sinkers adapted for the state's own copper coinage. The small head variant reflects the work of a specific die sinker among the multiple engravers who prepared dies for the Connecticut coinage contractors, though attributing individual dies to named artisans remains challenging given the limited documentation surviving from these private operations. Connecticut coppers of 1788 represent the final year of production under the state's coinage authorization, and the variety of portrait styles found across this year's issues — including mailed bust right, mailed bust left, draped bust left, and other variations — testifies to the number of die sinkers simultaneously active in producing working dies. Struck in copper, the coin weighs approximately 6.5 grams with a 28.5 mm diameter and plain edge. Cataloged as PCGS #400. Classified as scarce, the small head mailed bust right type is a distinct die variety within the extensive 1788 Connecticut copper series, recognizable by the compact proportions of the portrait relative to the surrounding legend and border.

Rarity Notes

Scarce.

Cross References

Miller 2-D; Whitman 3145