AN EXCAVATED HIGLEY-TYPE COPPER. 8.1 grams, 27.3-27.9mm, most closely compared to the Freidus 3.2-C or 3.3-C die varieties; the obverse with central stag and 'VALUE.ME.AS.YOU.PLEASE' around the rim, the reverse with a central broad axe and 'J.CUT.MY.WAY.THROUGH.' Ungraded, uncertified, surface has deep verdigris patina and overall light pitting/environmental damage. Footnotes: Provenance This coin was discovered by a metal detectorist several years ago in the Granby, Connecticut area near an early house foundation, approx. nine inches below the surface along with a British William III halfpenny. Note Higley coppers are among the rarest and most interesting American colonial coins. It is estimated that only between sixty and eighty examples survive today. Struck in 1737-1739 by Samuel and John Higley, Jr. in Granby, Connecticut from copper mined in nearby Simsbury, these coppers initially had a nominal value of three pence. The valuation was replaced with 'value me as you please,' perhaps due to the reluctance of merchants to accept a halfpenny-size copper coin for such a high and unsupported value. The present specimen does not appear to match any of the presently known eight obverse and five reverse die varieties and is clearly not a later Bollen copy. Specialists who have examined this coin have neither conclusively condemned the coin as not genuine nor have they presented a strong argument that is authentic. Regardless, the coin is offered AS IS and not subject to return. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing