Lot 2552
1796 Draped Bust Half Dime. "LIKERTY" error. . LM-1. PCGS graded MS-62 PQ. Lovely green and lilac toning on both sides. A wonderful coin.
There were no 1795 half dimes with the Draped Bust coined, however a 1795-dated obverse die of the new design did get prepared, then overcut with a 6 to create the familiar 1796/5 selection (LM-2). A further non-overdate obverse for 1796 was paired with a another reverse, creating the LM-1 variety. Hence, there are the only two die marriages known for the year. Both, however, feature a weak B in LIBERTY from a faulty letter punch. The sought-after LIKERTY variety, with the top and bottom of the B weaker still, resulted from a late, lapped die state of the LM-1.
This gorgeous toned beauty is immensely sharp in the centers. All hair curls show magnificently, as does the drapery at the shoulder and lower bust. Meanwhile, the eagle's crisp detail compares favorably with some of the finest struck examples of this issue. The mint luster spreads softly and to its full extent beneath the toning, which itself gathers together into the deepest hues around the margin, leaving the centers to play with the colorful kaleidoscopic effects. No adjustment marks are seen. The only marks of any note on either side are a couple of light abrasions in the lower reverse field near the second S in STATES, which may be useful to the future provenance tracer and also a faint hairline scratch across the neck at the merger of the throat and upper chest. The lovely patina grabs your attention at once and never lets go. Pop 3; 4 finer; 2 in 63; 1 in 64; 1 in 67. (PCGS # 94254) .
Historic note: 1796 June 1 Tennessee became the 16th State to join the Union, after the dies were made for the 1796 half dimes, accounting for the 15 obverse stars.
On Sept. 17, 1796, before he left office, George Washington issued a "Farewell Address" to the American people, but he did not deliver it orally. Instead, it was published in the Philadelphia American Advertiser. A long-established custom still observed in the Senate and House of Representatives today is to convene on Washington's Birthday for an oral reading, by one of their members, of the famous address. In it Washington said: "My first wish is to see this plague of mankind-war banished from the earth."
Estimated Value $25,000 - 27,000.
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| Realized $23,000 |
