1797 1/2C C-1, 1 Above 1, BN MS(PCGS#35101)

1797 1/2C C-1, 1 Above 1, BN MS (PCGS#35101)

February 2020 Pre-Long Beach U.S. & World Coin Auction #115

Lot Description: Lot 436 1797 C-1 R2 1 Above 1. PCGS graded VF-30.Choice glossy medium chocolate brown and steel. Very smooth with only a few minor marks including a small planchet flake below the Y in LIBERTY, a faint vertical hairline in the field before the portrait, and a thin fissure (or possibly undertype) at the first S in STATES. EDS, Manley state 1.0, with smooth, hard fields and no die cracks on either side. The earliest die state seen for this variety. This piece is plated on page 176 in the Breen half cent encyclopedia to illustrate his variety 1b that is struck on a thick cut-down large cent planchet. However this half cent weighs 83.5 grains, nearly equal to the 84.0-grain standard, and the planchet is not thick. In addition there is no identifiable large cent undertype on either side, so it appears Breen missed the mark on this one. Nonetheless it is a very attractive example of the earliest die state. The 1 above 1 feature is obvious to the unaided eye. Our grade is VF25.The attribution and Widok Collection provenance are noted on the PCGS label. PCGS population 2; 10 finer.(PCGS # 35101) Value $2,000 - UP Ex Don Valenziano-The Widok Collection.