The shortage of small denomination coins after the Revolutionary War ended in 1784 prompted several northeastern states to produce their own coins to facilitate commerce locally. From 1785 to 1789, when the new US Constitution established a national currency, New York, New Jersey, and Vermont all had state-issued coins.

With the exception of the Brasher doubloons—high-value gold coins—the state-issued coins were made of copper in denominations roughly equivalent to small-denominated British coins. All had several designs and sub-types, but the variety of Connecticut copper coins overwhelms the the others. In a scant four years, and with only two major design varieties, Connecticut produced 355 die combinations made in at least six separate mints with 126 different lettering varieties and 26 variations on a single portrait.

The Strange Tale of Connecticut Coppers

Recognizing the need for copper coins, four partners approached the Connecticut legislature in October of 1785 with a proposal to solve the problem. The lawmakers were amenable to the idea and approved minting of copper coins by the partnership.

With a license to make money, the original petitioners added four more partners including silversmith and diemaker Abel Buell and formed The Company for Coining Coppers. Except for Buell, all the partners were investors only, so Buell became the manager, designer, and engraver for the operation. The Company was given a five-year contract to coin up to £10,000 worth of copper coins under the supervision of the state with a 5% royalty going to the state. It was also deemed illegal for any other coins to be made without state approval. But the state should have looked at the minters more carefully.

Production Begins

A mint was established in New Haven and coining continued until a copper shortage forced its suspension in mid-1786. That September the partnership leased their coining rights for six weeks to three men who had access to copper supplies. At the end of the lease that November, the partnership added more investors to raise money to upgrade their coining equipment. The following June shares were traded or sold, the Company for Coining Coppers was dissolved, and it was reorganized as James Jarvis and Company. Buell was the only original partner who remained. In addition to coining Connecticut Coppers, Jarvis contracted with the federal government to mint “Fugio cents,” a coin authorized by the Continental Congress in 1787.

Weighty Matters

Over the course of its life, the Connecticut Copper went through more weight changes than a supermodel. When some of the original partners left, their successors, seeking to maximize profits, slimmed down some of the coins fractionally. Other times they used federal supplies of copper intended for Fugio cents to make more profitable Connecticut coins. And they neglected to pay for all the copper they received from the feds or royalties to Connecticut.

The Final Acts

By September 1788 the Jarvis Company’s federal contract was cancelled for poor performance and the State of Connecticut was looking into the business’s conduct. Later that year the company’s equipment was sold to a private mint in New York and by 1789, with new US coinage slated to replace the state coins, Jarvis and his partner Samuel Broome headed for Paris and Abel Buell took a trip to England.

Jarvis and Company was by then defunct. The last coins they made were in the fall of 1788.

Connecticut Copper Design Basics

Despite the overwhelming number of variations there was only a single design for each side of the Connecticut Coppers. The face (obverse) carried the bust of a male figure (based on King George’s bust on British coins, according to some sources) and a depiction of Liberty on the reverse. The plethora of design varieties comes mostly from how “George” was depicted as well as several changes in the type used in the coin’s lettering.

The Two Faces of George

The Connecticut copper design was based on the British half-penny. It had the bust of King George facing to the right and that was how “Connecticut George” was portrayed on the first Connecticut Coppers minted in 1785. Later that year the bust was turned to face left to distinguish it from the British coin, which was being heavily counterfeited at the time. Starting in late 1785, all legal Connecticut Coppers maintained that left-facing portrait.

The second major design varieties involve how “George” was dressed. The initial coins showed his shoulders covered by “mail” armor, leather straps covered with metal plates. Other designs depicted him with his shoulders draped in toga. Thus, two more varieties: mail and draped.

Subsets of Connecticut Coppers

Engraving and manufacturing techniques of the time meant many of the coins’ details had to be hand-engraved on the dies. This, along with the use of at least six different minting operations, led to many variations in how the lettering appeared on different mintages as well as some subtle detailing of “George’s” portrait. The lettering and minor design details are too numerous to go into here, but at least five hand-detailed dies resulted in variations in his appearance known as “African George,” “Horned Bust,” “Laughing Head,” “Snipe Nose, “and “Hercules.”

Collecting Connecticut Coppers

Connecticut Coppers are popular with collectors because of both their historical value and the huge number of varieties, errors, and overdates. Some coins are common and accessible to nearly any collector. Others are quite rare with prices well over $100,000, and scarce new varieties continue to be found.

The greatest number of common coins are found among the 241 major varieties minted in 1787 and include “Laughing Head” and “Horned Bust” coins that sell for a few hundred dollars. 1785 “African Head” coins are common as are some 1786 “Mailed Bust Left” and two 1788 “Mailed Bust” coins. Some of the 1788 coins are right-facing, meaning they are either unauthorized or outright counterfeits, but remain highly collectible given the shady practices of the businesses.

You can learn much more about Connecticut Coppers on the Notre Dame University website. PCGS Coin Facts has details, illustrations, and price information about the various types of Connecticut Copper coins.

Colonial and Early American coins have intriguing stories to tell. While many are rare and quite expensive to own, several others are affordably priced and excellent starts to a fascinating hobby. PCGS Coin Facts has a comprehensive listing of the various types, rarity, and estimated value of those coins in different grades.