1787 Fugio 1C States United, Cross After Date, BN MS(PCGS#874)

The August 2013 Chicago ANA World's Fair of Money

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

1332

Grade

VF20

Price

3,290

Lot Description

Rare Newman 1-L Cross After Date Fugio 1787 Fugio Copper. Pointed Rays. Newman 1-L, W-6605. Rarity-5. Obverse Cross After Date, No Cinquefoils, STATES UNITED. VF-20 (PCGS). 145.2 grains. Deep chocolate brown with lighter contrasting devices. The design elements are a bit brassy and bright, and the fields are lightly granular; the assigned grade is clearly a net grade taking this into account, as not many VF-20 coins retain essentially full sundial detail. There are some minor and overall harmless striations around the upper reverse perimeter. Nice eye appeal and superb sharpness for this rare variety, seen far less often than its 1-B counterpart. In grades above VF, this variety is dozens of times rarer. Retz recorded just seven in grades above Fine; this was one of them, ranked sixth on his census. The Craige coin, unknown to Retz, is the best to surface recently. It was graded AU-50 (PCGS) and brought $18,800 in our January 2013 sale. PCGS# 874. Provenance: From the Robert Ayers Collection. Earlier from the C-4 John M. Griffee Sale, October 1995, lot 414. Lot tag included.