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S-176 Struck Over A Token
185
1798 S-176 R4 Style II Hair, Small 8 PCGS Genuine, VF Details, Clean-
ing.
Cleaned and retoned medium steel brown and olive with faded red-
dish tan in protected areas. No roughness, only a few trivial contact marks.
A tiny pinprick under the right foot of the 1 in the date, another in the field
close to the head under the L in LIBERTY, and a short diagonal scratch
under NT in CENT are the best identifying marks. MDS, Breen state V.
The vertical die crack up from the bust tip is disjointed. In addition there is
some clearly visible diagonal reeding on the edge before the portrait.
Our
grade is VF20+ sharpness net F15
. The attribution and Reynolds prov-
enance are noted on the PCGS Secure label
(PCGS # 36098)
Estimated Value ..............................................................................$1,000-UP
Ex Scotties 1/1985.
186
1798 S-176 R4 Style II Hair, Small 8. PCGS graded VG-8.
Struck over a Token. Glossy light to medium chocolate brown
and steel. Smooth and attractive showing only a few trivial
contact marks. A tiny pinprick over the 9 and a shallow pit in
the field over the hair ribbon are good identifying marks. MDS,
Breen state V late. Swelling is starting to weaken ES in STATES.
What makes this cent so special is that it was struck over an as
yet unidentified token, most likely one of the British “Conder”
or merchant tokens of the late 18th Century. Clear undertype
from the token is visible at RTY and in the opposing area at CA
to the denominator. On the reverse you can make out two let-
ters, H and E, and the numeral 8 shows under the second A in
AMERICA. Perhaps an expert in the token series could attribute
the token, but we are stumped. A really neat cent.
Our grade
is VG7
. The attribution and Reynolds provenance are noted on
the PCGS Secure label, but they failed to mention the undertype
token
(PCGS # 36098)
Estimated Value .............................................................. $500-UP
Acquired from an unrecorded source at a St. Louis Coin Show
5/1991.