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Sale 77
Lot 1
1793 C-1 R3+. PCGS graded MS-65 Brown. Choice glossy light brown with generous traces of faded mint color peeking through in protected areas, especially on the reverse. The surfaces are flawless except for a few microscopic hairlines in the field near the dentils off the chin and some of the usual tiny planchet chips that did not completely strike out on the cheek and in the fields on both sides. The best identifying mark on this piece is a diagonal planchet chip under the 00 in the denominator. MDS, Manley state 2.0, as listed in The Half Cent Die State Book 1793-1857 by Ronald P. Manley, Ph.D. (the "Manley book"), with parallel die rust streaks in the field before the portrait. The fields display a bit of reflectivity where not affected by the die rust, especially on the reverse. The obverse is slightly misaligned to K-10 while the reverse is off center a bit to K-6, but the border beads are complete and bold around both sides. A beautiful half cent that offers outstanding eye appeal. Our grade is MS63+, very close to MS64. Arguably the finest known of what is considered to be the first die variety of half cent struck at the new the US Mint in July 1793. Both sides are plated on page 71 in Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of United States Half Cents 1793-1857 (the "Breen encyclopedia") to illustrate his die state II and listed first in the Breen/Hanson condition census shown on that same page. Plated on page 2 of the second edition of American Half Cents the "Little Half Sisters" by Roger S. Cohen, Jr. (the "Cohen book") to illustrate the variety. Weight 103.5 grains. The attribution and Missouri Cabinet provenance are shown on the PCGS label. PCGS population 1; the only MS attributed and graded by PCGS. (PCGS # 35003) .
Estimated Value $250,000-UP.
Ex Frederick Reed "F. R." Alvord 11/1/1923-Alvord Estate, Samuel Hudson "S. H." Chapman 6/9/1924:8 (Plate 1) $68.00-Henry Chapman (privately)-Howard Rounds Newcomb (valued by Newcomb at $32.50) 1935 (privately)-B. Max Mehl 1935 (Mehl purchased the entire half cent collection of Howard R. Newcomb in 1935, advertised it for sale on page 814 in the November 1935 issue of The Numismatist, and sold the collection intact to E. H. R. Green)-"Colonel" Edward Howland Robinson "E. H. R." Green 6/8/1936-Green Estate (appraised by Frederick Charles Cogswell "F. C. C." Boyd for the Green Estate at $15.00 on 8/9/1937) sold in April 1943 for $30.01-Burdette G. Johnson and Eric P. Newman partnership (hereafter called "the Newman/Johnson partnership." Johnson received this coin when he and Newman divided up the half cents from the Green purchases.)-Burdette G. Johnson, 2/2/1947-Burdette G. Johnson Estate, 12/15/1948 (valued at $125.00)-later-Charles J. duPont-Anderson Dupont (duPont) Sale, Part II, Stack's 11/11/1954:1029 ($675.00)-Harold Shaw Bareford 4/10/1978-William J. Bareford (son) 6/8/1984 (via Julius M. "Jules" Reiver)-R. Tettenhorst-Missouri Cabinet (Mocab 93.1.3).
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| Realized $379,500 |
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