Definition
Covtn is an archaic or abbreviated legal term denoting a secret conspiracy or agreement between two or more persons formed for the purpose of injuring or defrauding another. The term describes a covert combination — a concerted scheme carried out in secret against a third party's interests. It is closely related to, and in many historical sources functionally synonymous with, collusion and covin.
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Common Confusion
Covtn is almost certainly a scribal, typographic, or archival abbreviation of COVIN (also spelled "coyne" or "covine" in older sources), a well-established term in historical English law. Researchers encountering "covtn" in manuscript records, case digests, or older printed reports should treat it as equivalent to covin and research accordingly. The Black's 2nd Ed. Supplemental entry appears to reflect either a printing corruption or a shorthand transcription of the fuller term. Do not treat "covtn" as a distinct legal concept independent of covin.
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Why It Matters in Research
The primary research value of this entry is navigational: if you encounter "covtn" in a historical source, recognize it immediately as an artifact of transcription or typography, not a standalone term of art. Historical legal printing was inconsistent, and abbreviations, dropped letters, and typographic errors were common in both manuscript and early printed sources.
Covin itself is a significant concept in older equity and common law, appearing in contexts involving fraudulent conveyances, collusive suits, and deceitful agreements. Researchers working in pre-20th century case law — particularly in Connecticut, Indiana, and New York, where the cases cited in the Black's entry originate — should cross-reference covin when this abbreviation appears.
The cited cases (Mix v. Muzzy, 28 Conn. 191; Anderson v. Oscamp, 35 N.E. 707 (Ind. App.); Hyslop v. Clarke, 14 Johns. (N.Y.) 465) are historical American authorities defining the substance of the concept. These are real reported decisions and can be consulted for the elements courts applied to distinguish a fraudulent secret agreement from ordinary contractual arrangement or agency.
When searching historical digests or indices, search under COVIN, COLLUSION, and CONSPIRACY rather than the abbreviated form.
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Historical Dictionary Support
Black's Law Dictionary (2nd Ed.) Supplemental defines covtn as "a secret conspiracy or agreement between two or more persons to injure or defraud another." The entry is thin — no elaboration beyond the definition and three case citations — which is consistent with it being a supplemental or variant entry pointing back to a fuller headword elsewhere in the dictionary. No additional historical dictionaries in the Law Mind corpus carry this specific form of the term, reinforcing the conclusion that "covtn" is not an independent term with its own doctrinal history but rather a corrupted or abbreviated reference to covin.
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Jurisdictional Note
The cited authorities draw from Connecticut, Indiana, and New York, suggesting the covin concept was applied in American common law courts across multiple states. The underlying doctrine, however, originates in English common law and equity, where covin had statutory treatment as early as the Statute of Uses period. Jurisdictional variation in modern law is largely moot, as covin as a standalone charge has been absorbed into fraud, conspiracy, and collusion doctrines in contemporary practice.
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