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Sale 54
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Lot 548
1803-1807 Large Fraction Reverse from Unique Reverse Die. Known as the "1806" Restrike Pattern Judd-38a R8+ (Unique). Fair-2. 1806 Quarter muled with a Large Cent Reverse of the 1803-1807 Type with Large Fraction. Rather glossy chocolate brown. The date is weak but visible, and about two-thirds of the quarter design is clear. The lower half of the large cent reverse is visible, but the upper half is faint at best due to an uneven strike. There are some hairline scratches on both sides, strongest on the upper right side of the reverse. This piece was struck well after 1806 using two discarded dies (it was common at one time for the mint to sell old dies as scrap, and those dies sometimes fell into the hands of "creative capitalists"). The host coin is a well worn Turban Head large cent of the 1808-1814 design. This normal mint-produced cent was then overstruck using an 1806 Browning-5 quarter obverse die mated with a reverse die of the Large Fraction type used for large cents of 1803-1807. The 1806 quarter obverse is struck over the reverse of the host cent, with cent undertype clearly visible at the face of Ms Liberty. The Draped Bust large cent reverse was struck over the obverse of the host cent, but the only clear undertype remaining is the L in LIBERTY from the headband of the Turban Head large cent, and this is located under the E in UNITED. The 1806 quarter die shows evidence of extensive rusting around the stars and ribbon. The reverse die does not match any of the similar large fraction reverse dies used to strike any of the numerous varieties of large cents dated from 1803 to 1807, so it must have been an unused spare die made obsolete by the change to the Turban Head design at the end of 1807. It is easily differentiated from the known large fraction reverse dies by comparing the length of the fraction bar and the wreath stem that points to the U in UNITED. The fraction bar on this "new" reverse extends to above the center of the 1 in the denominator, and the wreath stem extends well over half way to the bottom of the U. Many additional differences can be found between this "new" die and the ones already familiar to us, but these are two of the more obvious ones. Both dies probably were obtained from the Mint as scrap sometime after 1816. Similar "restrikes" and improbable mulings were produced by Joseph Mickley using scrap dies obtained in this manner, and this piece may be a product of his whimsy. (The popular 1804 cent and 1811 half cent "restrikes" are two of the more famous Mickley products.) These and other discarded mint dies owned by Mickley were confiscated by the US Mint shortly before the auction of Mickley’s collection in 1867. This unique piece has been known for a long time. It is listed by Judd as #38a in his book on US Pattern Coinage, and it is mentioned in the Scott/Taxay Comprehensive Catalog of US Coinage. Reported to be from FPL #3 of Empire Coin Company. DWH #2190.
Estimated Value $5,000-UP.
Obtained as lot #2456 in the 6/3/2002 McCawley & Grellman/Superior auction.
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| Realized $10,063 |
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