1787 Fugio 1C Newman 18-H, United States, BN MS(PCGS#878411)

1787 Fugio 1C Newman 18-H, United States, BN MS (PCGS#878411)

Summer 2025 Global Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

Lot Description: 168.0 grains. A really pleasing example of this Newman number. The obverse is mostly medium brown and smooth, a bit lighter in upper left. The reverse is more even glossy chocolate brown. Peripheral granularity is seen around the obverse from 5 o'clock to 1 o'clock, along with a bit of surface granularity to the lower right of the sundial. The reverse is smooth and frosty but for a pit inside the ring below 3 o'clock. The obverse is well centered, the reverse is misaligned to 1 o'clock by a great enough margin that the die edge is visible at lower left. Early die state, with a very short reverse break at 6 o'clock and only light clashes on the obverse.<p>We've sold very few examples better than this one over the years. The Retz census was topped by the Retz coin, a PCGS AU-53 when we sold it in November 2012. We had a PCGS AU-55 more recently, in August 2024, a coin that also deserves a spot on the Condition Census. Following those, the best we've offered in the era of certification are three different EF-40 coins, one of which was sold on two occasions. This one doesn't appear to have been known to Retz but its quality exceeds most of the examples he listed, which he graded (in his conservative fashion) as AU (2) - EF (2) - VF (3).