1737 3P Higley, Connecticvt, BN MS(PCGS#201)

August 2023 Global Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

8228

等级

VG8BN

价格

410,690

详细说明

Landmark Freidus 1.1-A Higley Copper Only Two Known Ex John Story Jenks 1737 Higley Copper. Freidus 1.1-A, W-8190. Rarity-8. THE VALVE OF THREE PENCE / CONNECTICVT, 3 Hammers. VG-8 (PCGS). 160.0 grains. Very pleasing glossy autumn-brown with slighter darker peripheral toning that adds contrast to the legends. Moderately rough, as typical, but not severely so. The obverse, graded alone, approaches VF detail and shows utterly complete designs, though PENCE is a bit softer than other inscriptions. The reverse is softer, though the date is boldly complete. The letters ONNEC are crisp, and portions of all three hammers are visible, though the northeast quadrant of that side shows little detail. Some faint pin scratches resemble a D near center on the obverse, W at central reverse; another old scratch runs from the deer's tail to the border at 3 o'clock. Collectors who have learned to adjust their expectations for this challenging series will certainly recognize this as a very nice looking Higley. Beyond its genuine eye appeal, this is one of just two known examples from these dies cited by Dan Freidus. This obverse die, which assesses this halfpenny-sized copper THE VALVE OF THREE PENCE, was replaced early in the series' history. The only other example from these dies is the Crosby-Newcomer-Green-Newman coin - admittedly the far finer of the two - that realized $470,000 in Heritage's May 2014 sale of the Newman Collection, Part IV. It was certified AU-50 by NGC. For those assembling an advanced collection of colonial and early American varieties, this coin is nearly as rare as it gets, its offering in this sale representing what could very well be a once in a lifetime bidding opportunity. Numismatic tradition identifies Dr. Samuel Higley of Granby, Connecticut as the producer of these enigmatic copper tokens. A medical doctor with a degree from Yale College, Higley was also a blacksmith who performed many experiments in metallurgy. In 1728 he acquired some land in Simsbury (later known as Granby), a site known for its copper mines. Higley's mining operation was apparently a successful one, much of the high quality copper extracted being exported to England. Sometime around 1737 Higley is thought to have produced a limited quantity of copper tokens valued at threepence, perhaps using metal from his own mine. The pieces seem to have circulated almost exclusively in and around Granby, although not without resistance on the part of the local inhabitants. Since the tokens were similar in size to the contemporary English halfpence, valuing these pieces at threepence seemed inappropriate. Accordingly, most later issues included the inscription VALUE ME AS YOU PLEASE, although an indication of the threepence denomination was retained in the form of a Roman numeral III on the obverse below the standing deer. Assigning these copper tokens to Dr. Higley has its problems, for he died at sea in May 1737 while en route to England with a shipment of copper from his own mine. Since the date 1737 would not have been used in Connecticut until March 25 of that year (New Year's Day at the time), this left only a narrow window of time for Higley to produce 1737-dated tokens before setting out on what proved to be his final voyage. Then there's the case of the later Higley coppers dated 1739, which were almost certainly not produced by Higley. Once again numismatic tradition weighs in to tell us that Higley's son John continued his mining operations and, presumably, the associated coinage activity. If so, he may have issued the 1739-dated pieces in connection with Rev. Timothy Woodbridge and William Cradock. Provenance: From the Sydney F. Martin Collection. Earlier ex Henry Chapman's sale of the John Story Jenks Collection, December 1921, lot 5431; later, our (Stack's) sale of October 1987, lot 23; San Diego Show and Auction Co.'s sale of March 1990, lot 2232; our (Stack's) sale of the Peter Scherff Collection, March 2010, lot 2103. To view supplemental information and all items from the Sydney F. Martin Collection, click here. PCGS# 201. NGC ID: AUAT. Click here for certification details from PCGS. Image with the PCGS TrueView logo is obtained from and is subject to a license agreement with Collectors Universe, Inc. and its divisions PCGS and PSA.