1844/81 1C Newcomb 2, RB MS(PCGS#397723)

August 2020 U.S. Coins Auction

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

1126

Grade

MS64RB

Price

36,000

Lot Description

Condition Census 1844/81 N-2 Cent Ex James D. Sloss 1844/81 Braided Hair Cent. N-2. Rarity-2. MS-64 RB (PCGS). CAC. Type:Braided Hair. Design: Obv: A head of Liberty faces left with 13 stars around the border and the date 1844 below. She is wearing a coronet inscribed LIBERTY, her hair tied into a bun at the back of her head by a beaded cord. Rev: A circular wreath encloses the denomination ONE CENT with the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA around the border. Weight Standard: 10.89 grams. Diameter: 27.5 mm. Die Variety: Newcomb-2. Obv: So-called 1844/81, actually the primary digits 844 in the date are punched over an inverted 184. Several spurs (short, sharp die lines) are evident at the main curl behind Liberty's head. The 1844 N-2 represents the only use of this obverse die. Rev: There is a tiny die line in the wreath above the inside berry at the letter C in CENT. The 1844 N-2 also represents the only use of this reverse die. N-2 is the only die marriage that corresponds to the 1844/81 Guide Booklisting of this issue. Die State: Grellman b, Noyes B/B. Obv: The die is beginning to show signs of fatigue with light roughness in the field and some of the denticle tips fading, but the repunching at the date and spurs at the back curl are still readily evident. Rev: The die is slightly worn with a trace of roughness in the field, spurs at the letters O in ONE and E in CENT from the earlier state of these dies (Grellman a) now no longer visible. Edge: Plain. Mintage for the Issue: 2,398,752 coins. Estimated Surviving Population for the Die Variety: Rarity-2: 751 to 1,000 coins in all grades. Strike: Typical quality of strike for the variety, most of the stars are blunt with little to no radial line definition, and the high points of the central design elements are a bit soft, most notably the top of Liberty's portrait and the upper part of the wreath. The borders are fully denticulated, however, and areas of sharp detail are evident throughout the design. Surfaces: Softly frosted surfaces exhibit light steel-brown toning with plenty of original mint orange color remaining on both sides. A thin streak of darker color through the upper points of star 2 to Liberty's chin is from impurities in the planchet, a few light field marks and a tiny spot before Liberty's nose are worthwhile identifiers. Commentary: Along with the similar 1851/81, the 1844/81 is one of the most dramatic and popular die marriages in the entire Braided Hair cent series of 1839 to 1857. The engraver accidentally entered the three-digit date logo punch (184) into the die upside down on his first attempt, his subsequent correction leaving ample remnants of the errant underdigits. The ESM specimen offered here is among the finest known, EAC grade of MS-64+ per Bob Grellman in his cataloging for the June 2002 Robinson S. Brown, Jr. Collection sale, CC#2 in the current Noyes census. A lovely near-Gem that is sure to find its way into another advanced cabinet. Provenance: From the ESM Collection. Earlier ex Dr. James O. Sloss; Abe Kosoff's sale of the Dr. James O. Sloss Collection, October 1959, lot 222; New Netherlands' sale of June 1962, lot 600; Dorothy Nelson; our (Stack's) sale of the Tad Collection of U.S. Large Cents, February 1976, lot 144; RARCOA; Manfra, Tordella & Brookes, August 1989; Dr. Robert J. Shalowitz; J.R. Grellman; Robinson S. Brown, Jr.; Superior's sale of Robinson S. Brown, Jr.'s Third Collection of Large Cents, June 2002, lot 170; Jon Alan Boka; Heritage's sale of the Al Boka Copperheads Collection, September 2011 Long Beach Signature Coin Auction, lot 3069. The primary plate coin for the variety on the PCGS CoinFactswebsite, and also plated on page 138 Al Boka's Provenance Gallery of the Year 1794. PCGS Population (1844/81 variety only): 3; 0 finer in this category. There are no RD examples of this variety known to PCGS. PCGS# 397723. Click here for certification details from PCGS.