Lot 5121
1801 B-2, BB-212 Wide Date Rarity 3. PCGS graded MS-63. Subset of PCGS # 6893. In a new secure plus holder. Condition Census. The point of the leftmost arrowhead is under the left edge of the left serif of N in UNITED. The point of upper part of eagle's beak touches down on a point of a star slightly back from extreme star point. Only 12 arrows show plainly (13th faintly shows, but is difficult to find). First A in AMERICA touches third feather, and is connected by die crack to 4th feather. Leaf points more towards left corner of base of I in AMERICA.
The same hub used to produce this reverse was also employed to make Reverse X and Reverse Y for the 1801-2-34 novodel series (see Chapter 6). It had 12 arrows, instead of the correct 13. Whenever this hub was used, the 13th arrow was added by hand, always with a light impression from a separate punch.
Reverse die used to strike 1801 (intermediate state) BB-212; 1802/1 BB-231 (early state) and BB-232 (early state); 1802 BB-241 (slightly advanced intermediate state); and 1803 BB-253 (if it exists) and BB-254 (slightly advanced intermediate state), and BB-255 (terminal state). (Note: Die progression study reveals that 1801 BB-212 was struck after 1802/1 BB-231 and BB-232, but before 1803 BB-254 and 1803 BB-255; thus it was not struck before 1802.)
The population of 1801 BB-212 is about 201 to 500, or about the same as 1801 BB-211. These two varieties are the two most populous of the year. However, of the four business strike varieties of the date, none is a rarity.
Examples are quite rare AU or finer. Bowers knew of no Uncirculated specimen coming on the market in recent decades. "Perhaps some coins listed in that grade many years ago will resurface to be graded by today's interpretations, and some future edition of this book will list them. The Winsor-Mills coin probably does qualify, and in the Condition Census I arbitrarily assign the grade of MS63 to it." Marvelous prooflike surfaces emphasize the exceptional strike very well. Pop 2; none finer at PCGS for the variety (PCGS # 40084) .
Estimated Value $80,000-UP.
The Dr. Hesselgesser Collection.
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| Realized $66,125 |
