Calling all colonial copper specialists

Sometimes I find myself buying semi-problematic coins because I like trying to figure out what the heck happened to them. Well, I'm stumped on this one.

It certainly appears that this is a Connecticut copper, but there's a "NO" before "AUCTORI" (or perhaps "NOV") on the obverse and the "ET" from INDE ET LIB looks to be out of place, being almost centered over the body on the reverse.

I think maybe I've gotten myself a contemporary counterfeit because I'm not finding anything that matches up here? I'm quite honestly clueless at this point. Any help would be appreciated!

 

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Hello! Were is it from? It doesn't look American.

 

Is it Canadian???

 

You should use the coin snap app to identify it. definitely not American

 

It's a 1788 12.2-C Connecticut copper. It's overstruck on a Nova Constellatio, many of this variety are. It's a rarity 5 variety which translates to 46 to 60 estimated surviving. It actually is a contemporary counterfeit, all of the 1788 dated Connecticuts were minted at the Machin's Mill mint, not the official Connecticut mint.

 

could I see some angled photos?

 

How much is it worth if its a counterfeit?

 

Thank you! I was (still kind of am) thoroughly confused by this one, but now I've got the info to read up on. Thanks again!

 

I collect these by die variety, any further questions ask away!

 

looks crazy cool!

 

I'm thinking fire damage. I have an 1818 large cent that looks similar.

 

I'm leaning towards it being a dug coin. I can see a lot more under my scope and it's got tiny pitting all over it. And it has the telltale swipe marks of someone pushing all that mud / dirt off after pulling it from the ground.

 

Be careful with trusting coinsnap, it can be terribly inaccurate at times!

 

Yeah!

 

Some counterfeits can be worth a ton of money, this is likely not a high-end counterfeit but some contemporary pieces like non-regal King George III half pennies, circulating in the 1770s and likely the 1780s, can sell for what a genuine one does.

I'll say @l.cutler gave an awesome description. My first guess was a mailed bust left Connecticut copper, but that describes a bunch of varieties.

 

I have a hard enough time with colonials so when I hit this speedbump I was rather perplexed because I'm not overly familiar with them so much. But with the description from @l.cutler it was much more clear as to why I was having a difficult time. I'm just happy to have gotten the help I did so I can admire the coin instead of fretting over it!

 

I'm leaning toward I don't know, duh. Faded but nice.

 

I can't blame you there. I've been in the situation of trying to identify the coin and it has gotten rather hassling at times, and sometimes having people who know a lot about the subject is a blessing.

 

The Connecticut coinage is a complex but interesting series that also ties in with the Fugio cents. The history of the coins and the coiners reads like a soap opera, involving corporate intrigue, bribing government officials, cheating the government, and finally failure, some of the participants on the run to avoid prosecution and finally, disbursement of the equipment to a mint with questionable business tactics at best. There are around 350 different varieties spanning 1785-1788, as mentioned the 1788 and also some others were unofficially made at Thomas Machin's mint. These coins are included in the variety count and are collected as part of the series. It's a deep rabbit hole and a series that could never be completed but it sure is fun!

 

Looking at the coin I was puzzled by the NO at the bottom left obv until I read the attribution. Then it made perfect sense!