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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;johnmilton, post: 26527727, member: 101855&quot;]Higley coppers? Not much more than is what is in my reference books. I have never owned one. The closest I might have come was when a Boston dealer offered me for little over $3,000 over 25 years ago. The dealer was very knowledgeable, but you had to know your stuff before you got “into the pit” with him because he was a very sharp operator. There was very little left on the piece. I passed.</p><p><br /></p><p>Another dealer asked me to verify one that came into his shop. After doing a lot of research, I could tell right away that it was modern copy. Here are pictures of one of the pieces I found on the Internet when I was doing my research.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1690779[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>As to the history, here goes. Dr. Samuel Higley was medical doctor who held a degree from Yale College. He was also an expert blacksmith who did a lot of experimentation with metals. He developed a practical way of making steel.</p><p><br /></p><p>In 1728 he purchased some land in a place named Simsbury which is better known as Granby. There were a number of copper mines in the area, and Higley operated one. The production was small, but profitable. He exported most of the copper to England.</p><p><br /></p><p>In 1737 he came up with the idea of minting some copper coins. The first pieces had a deer on the obverse and three hammers on the reverse which was the symbol for an English blacksmiths’ guild. He valued the pieces at three pence.</p><p><br /></p><p>One theory is that Higley used these pieces to by drinks at a local tavern with his coins. People complained because the coins were about the same size as the British half pennies which were circulating in the area. His next series of coins had the words, “Value me as you please.”</p><p><br /></p><p>Higley died on a voyage to England in 1737. He was on his way there to sell some of his copper. His oldest son, John, and the Rev. Timothy Woodbridge and William Cradock struck some more coppers in 1739. They tried to get a contract to make an official Connecticut state coinage, but were unsuccessful. Later pieces had a single ax on the reverse with the phrase, &quot;I cut my way through.&quot; </p><p><br /></p><p>The small mintage was made even rarer by the fact that gold smiths used the coin to alloy with gold and silver. The coins were said to be very pure copper.</p><p><br /></p><p>These coins are very rare and seldom offered. Since recent sales have been in the mid 6 digits for very low grade examples, it’s not on my want list.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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