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1787 CONNECTICUT CENT REDBOOK PLATE COIN HISTORY
Last week Byron Weston posed a question to E-Sylum readers about the coin used to illustrate the Connecticut cent entry in A Guide Book of United States Coins. Several folks came through with information.
-Editor
Jim Jones writes: The subject Connecticut copper appears as a plate coin in the 1961 Red Book 14th edition, p. 29. Red Book Editor Ken Bressett writes: This coin was first illustrated in the 1961, 14th edition of the Red Book. It continued in use through the 1978, 31st edition. David Stone writes: I find this plate is in number 14, from 1961. A different example was pictured before that time. The picture was changed when the listing for the coin was moved from the bottom of page 28 to the top of page 29. Frank Colletti (author of A Guide Book of the Official Red Book of United States Coins) writes: I checked my run of Red Books, and the plate coin was first used in the 14th Edition, 1961, when the variety's listing was changed from: "1787 Cent, Small Head Facing Right" on the bottom of page #28 to the then current "1787 Cent, Small Head Facing Right ETLIB INDE" and "1787 Cent, Mailed Bust Facing Right, IND ET LIB" listings on page 29. The old picture was used from the 1st edition (both printings) and was changed in the 14th with the expansion of the types as listed. Strangely, the original plate coin was in better condition and was the same type of variety. The original had more detail was did not have any of the pitting as shown in the illustrated piece, and was better struck on the reverse. There may have been a 'political' reason for the change, but we may never know why it was changed to a poorer condition piece. Byron Weston adds: Please pass along my appreciation to those who have responded!
Thanks, everyone. It's –interesting to follow how the book has evolved over the years and great to get an authoritative answer to questions like these. But answers have a way of raising new questions. Who owned the coins pictured? Where are these specimens now? Perhaps Byron's research will tell us.
-Editor
To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: QUERY: 1787 CONNECTICUT CENT REDBOOK PLATE COIN INFORMATION SOUGHT (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v14n26a10.html) THE BOOK BAZARREWayne Homren, Editor The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org. To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@gmail.com To subscribe go to: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum All Rights Reserved. NBS Home Page Contact the NBS webmaster 
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