Lot 66
1799 S-189 R2. PCGS graded EF-45 Brown. CAC. Choice glossy medium chocolate brown with traces of mint frost showing in protected areas. A wonderful cent, void of any roughness or verdigris with only light contact marks, none distracting. The notable marks are two thin, parallel nicks in the hair left of the earlobe, a tiny scratch right of the base of the Y in LIBERTY, and a thin nick on the rim below the lowest curl. MDS, Breen state IV early, showing minor crumbling in the dentils at F-AM. The date and LIBERTY are strong and the eye appeal of this 1799 is outstanding. Graded VF30 and tied for CC#2 honors in the Noyes and Bland census lists, Noyes photo #21331. Our grade is VF30 as well. Noyes has this cent tied with the "Abbey" 1799, but in your cataloger's opinion the piece offered here is the better example (the Abbey example resides in a PCGS holder similarly graded as XF45). Del Bland has the Downing-Bird example offered here graded 5 points higher than the Abbey cent. The Abbey cent sold for $161,000 in the Heritage sale of the Walter Husak collection on 2/15/2008 (lot 2192). The finest example is the Daniel W. Holmes, Jr. AU55 (PCGS MS61BN) coin we sold in our 9/7/2009 auction (lot 352) where it brought a record price of $977,500. Both sides are plated to illustrate the variety in Dr. Sheldon's Early American Cents and in the 2000 Breen encyclopedia. A great 1799 cent worthy of a superior collection. And it comes with a very nice provenance. The attribution and Doug Bird Collection provenance are noted on the PCGS label. PCGS population 2; 1 finer in 61. (PCGS # 36140) Value $150,000 - UP
Ex Henry C. Hines-Homer K. Downing, 1952 ANA Sale (New Netherlands Coin Co.) lot 1847 (where it brought $875, the highest price realized for any of the wonderful Downing cents in the sale)-C. Douglas Smith-Gordon J. Wrubel-C. Douglas Smith 1/25/1978 (via Lester Merkin)-Andrew M, Hain-Dennis E. Steinmetz (Steinmetz Coins & Currency)-1980 ANA Sale (Steve Ivy Numismatic Auctions) lot 949-Douglas F. Bird Collection (includes the Smith collection envelope and ANA Sale lot ticket).
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| Realized $111,000 |
