Pre-Long Beach US - page 48

44 |
Session One - Sunday, January 25, 2015 10:00 am
COPPER-NICKEL 1856 JUDD-177 PATTERN
211 1856 Breen 1-B, Judd-177 in Copper Nickel R5 NGC
graded MS62. Frosty tan and light golden brown. No
spots or stains, just very light friction on the highest points
of the devices. The reflectivity seen in the fields on unworn
examples is no longer present but the eye appeal is still
excellent. The only marks are a couple faint hairline
scratches in the field before the portrait. Nicely struck
inside the dentils, but the dentils themselves are poorly
impressed, especially on the obverse. This is always the
case for strikes on these harder copper nickel planchets.
While Breen lists two different alloys for these planchets
(90:10 and 88:12), there is no practical way to differentiate
between them. The new Judd/Bowers book on patterns
lumps them all together under the single J-177 attribution.
Curiously the planchets used on the Flying Eagle Cents of
1857 & 1858 is of the 88:12 alloy while it varies slightly for
1856 Flying Eagle Cents, more towards the 90:10 alloy.
Our grade is EF45+. The attribution is shown on the NGC
label. Pop 1; 2 finer in 64.
Estimated Value .............................................. $1,500-UP
212 1857 C-1 R2 ANACS graded MS63 Brown. Attractive lus-
trous light olive brown and chocolate. Mellowed mint red covers
about 5% of the obverse while the reverse displays attractive
overtones of light bluish steel and sea green in the fields and
protected areas. This half cent offers excellent eye appeal. No
spots or stains. The only defect is a thin horizontal nick over HA
in HALF. Nicely struck E-MDS. Our grade is MS62.
Estimated Value .......................................................$350-UP
Ex McCawley &Grellman Auctions/Goldbergs 5/27/2007:89-
Dennis Fuoss Collection.
213 1857 C-1 R2 AU50. Mint state sharpness but there are
numerous specks of carbon on the obverse, none visible with-
out a glass but too many to ignore. Lustrous bluish steel brown
and light chocolate with traces of faded mint color in protected
areas. Sharply struck Very Early Die State (VEDS). The fields on
both sides are slightly reflective and display fresh die polishing
lines. In addition OF AMERICA is clearly doubled.
Estimated Value .......................................................$150-UP
214 Group of Five 1857 Half Cents grading F12 to EF40. Aver-
age grade is VF20. A couple are slightly sharper with defects.
Lot of 5 coins.
Estimated Value .......................................................$350-UP
215 Half Cent Blank Planchet with Narrow Upset Rims,
Stage II, NGC certified as "Mint Error". Glossy medium
brown and light chocolate. No spots, stains, or other defects,
just the usual microscopic imperfections always present on
unstruck planchets. This planchet is essentially as made. The
rims are upset, ready for striking. The diameter suggests this
planchet was made for the half cents of 1849-1857 because the
half cents of earlier years have a very slightly larger diameter.
Diameter 22.5 millimeters and weight 83.1 grains versus the
standard of 84.0 grains. Unstruck planchets for half cents are
considerably rarer than those made for large cents, and this is a
nice one. Our "grade" is AU50. The Blank Planchet Mint Error
status is shown on the NGC label. Comes with a nice prove-
nance.
Estimated Value .................................................... $1,000-UP
Ex Massachusetts Historical Society, Stack's 3/29/1973:143-the
Missouri Cabinet (item #58.1.1), Davy Collection Sale, McCaw-
ley & Grellman Auctions/Goldbergs 9/4/2011:453 (lot ticket
included).
LARGE CENTS
Flowing Ha i r Cent s
POPULAR CHAIN AMERI. CENT
216 1793 S-1 R4 Chain AMERI. VG7. Very slightly sharper
but the fields and protected areas are covered with
extremely faint granularity that's mostly hidden under
attractive partly glossy medium chocolate brown toning. No
verdigris, only very light contact marks. The notable ones
are a small rim bruise under the 9 in the date, another on
the rim opposite the nose, some barely visible hairline
scratches hidden in the toning on the reverse, and a series
of tiny rim nicks at NITED. MDS, Breen state II. Shallow
swelling weakens the bottom of the 1 in the date and the
top of the U in UNITED, but there is no crack at TAT in
STATES. The date is easily readable although the lower part
of the 1 & 9 are gone. The legends are complete and clear.
A decent example of our Mint's first large cent.
Estimated Value ............................................ $10,000-UP
Ex L. Khalsa-Doug Bird 4/5/2008-Ed Leitner.