116 / 280
114
Equal Finest Known S-139
115
1797 S-139 R1. PCGS graded MS-63+BN.
CAC APPROVED
. Choice
lustrous steel and dark chocolate brown with hints of lighter reddish steel
brown faded down from mint red in a few of the protected areas. Satiny mint
frost covers both sides and this cent delivers outstanding eye appeal. Nearly
flawless. The best identifying marks are an extremely fine diagonal hairline
scratch on the jaw over the throat, a spot of golden tan toning at the top
of the O in OF, and a tiny diagonal nick over the E in CENT. Nicely struck
E-MDS, Breen state II. The two die cracks in the field under the hair ribbon
are clear and there are crisp die clashmarks from dentils under the date and
bust. Graded MS63 Choice and tied for CC#1 in the Noyes census his photo
#29957. Bland says MS61 and tied for CC#1.
Our grade is MS63.
This cent
comes with an impressive provenance that includes several very prominent
collectors of large cents. The attribution and Naftzger-Reynolds provenance
are noted on the PCGS Secure label.
Pop 1; none finer at PCGS for the vari-
ety (PCGS # 35948)
Estimated Value............................................................................... $20,000-UP
Ex John G. Murdock, Sotheby Wilkinson & Hodge (London) 7/1903:949-S.
H. & H. Chapman-Major William Boerum Wetmore, S. H. & H. Chapman
6/27/1906:555-Dr. Lewis H. Adler, Jr., 3/1917-B. Max Mehl 5/31/1917-Henry
C. Hines-Lillian Scheer 1948-Homer K. Downing, 1952 ANA Sale (New Neth-
erlands Coin Co. #38), lot 1780-Elliot Landau, New Netherlands Coin Co. #52,
12/13/1958:115-Emanuel Taylor 12/1958-Louis Helfenstein, Lester Merkin
8/14/1964:13-R. E. Naftzger, Jr., New Netherlands Coin Co. 11/14/1973:455-
Rare Coin Company of America-Dennis Forgue-Thomas E. Werner Stack’s
1/1987:841-Herman Halpern, Stack’s 3/16/1988:140-Andrew M. Hain, Stack’s
1/2002:738-Walter Husak, Heritage 2/15/2008:2142 (the 2002 Stack’s lot ticket
is included).