1823 50C O-109 MS(PCGS#39614)

January 2020 Mail Bid Auction 50

Auctioneer

Sheridan Downey

Lot Number

61

Grade

AU50

Price

4,290

Lot Description

More caviar for die variety collectors.  This die pair was a solid R.6 when I entered the arena 38 years ago.  The number of examples has slowly crept above 30, yielding its current R.5+ rarity rating.  AU examples are exceedingly rare.  Let’s say R.7, with fewer than a dozen known.  This untoned example retains much of its original luster.  The surfaces exhibit signs of brief circulation, with stray hairlines but few contact marks.  The strike is surprisingly bold given the late state die state.  I find no prior auction record for this important coin.  Est. $4,000 to $4,800.