1877 1C, RB MS(PCGS#2128)

Spring 2026 Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

3009

Grade

MS66RB

Price

19,200

Lot Description

This is a stunning condition rarity that will nicely represent this eagerly sought issue in the Proof Indian cent series. Both sides are visually appealing with subtle silver-olive and rose undertones to dominant pinkish tan color. Otherwise reflective in finish, a modestly frosted texture to the devices provides a hint of cameo contrast that is best seen when the coin is observed at direct lighting angles. The strike is full, as befits the method of manufacture, and the surfaces are nicely composed to support the impressive premium Gem Proof grade from NGC.<p>With a mintage of 852,500 pieces and a low rate of survival in high grades, the circulation strike 1877 is the key date in the Indian cent series. Consequently, survivors of the year's Proof mintage enjoy heightened demand. The United Sates Mint did not begin recording the number of Proof minor coins struck each year until 1878, so there is no way of knowing exactly how many Proof cents were produced in 1877. In his 1977 <em>Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial Proof Coins</em>, Walter Breen estimated the mintage of the 1877 at 510+ pieces, but more recent research by R.W. Julian confirmed that Breen's figure represented only the total number of silver and minor coin Proof sets sold. According to Rick Snow (2014), a more accurate estimate for the distribution of this issue is 910 coins, which takes into account the fact that the Mint also sold at least 400 minor coin Proof sets that year. It is thought that upward of 1,500 Proof 1877 cents were actually struck, the unsold pieces destroyed in the Mint or released into circulation, although additional pieces were likely sold "off the books" to contemporary dealers with close ties to the Mint.<p>Today, survivors of this Proof issue command a significant premium in all grades due to the rarity of the circulation strike 1877 Indian cent in Mint State. On the other hand, most Proofs are in lower grades through Proof-64 RB. The present upper end Gem is a significant condition rarity in its own right and numbers among the finest examples of the date currently available.