1846 1C N-3 Small Date, RB MS(PCGS#403860)

August 2023 Global Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

6098

Grade

MS65RB

Price

5,160

Lot Description

1846 Braided Hair Cent. N-3. Rarity-2. Small Date. MS-65 RB (PCGS). CAC. This beautiful example exhibits plenty of vivid rose-red mint color on lustrous, frosty surfaces. We note minimal mellowing to steel-brown and lilac, mostly at the high points. A tiny planchet void in the obverse field before Liberty's throat, others of more substantial size in the reverse field around the denomination ONE CENT, these being as made. Grellman Die State f, described as "rare," with strong reverse cud breaks over the rim outside the letters TATES OF in the legend. The author knew of only nine examples of the 1846 N-3 attribution with these cud breaks, and he described the present example as the finest of that small group in his 2009 cataloging of the Naftzger Collection, Part III. When offered in that sale this coin was ranked CC#1 in the Noyes census with an EAC grade of MS67, and also CC#1 in the Grellman census, albeit with an EAC grade of MS65+. These rankings concern the 1846 N-3 attribution in its entirety and are irrespective of die state. Provenance: From Lester Merkin's sale of the Louis Helfenstein Collection, August 1964, lot 230; our (Stack's) sale of the Floyd T. Starr Collection, June 1984, lot 476; Ira & Larry Goldberg's sale of the Ted Naftzger Collection, Part III, September 2009 Pre-Long Beach Auction, lot 709. Stack's and Goldberg's lot tags, Naftzger envelope and J.R. Grellman tag with attribution and provenance notes included. Plated in the Bowers Whitman Encyclopedia of U.S. Half Cents and Large Cents. PCGS# 403860. NGC ID: 226C. Click here for certification details from PCGS.