1859 Brass Cent, Looks Like A Wrong Metal Mix......

Dollarman, I've been very busy and didn't check back until now. The 1859 DP 9 #4 (reverse E25a in my on-line catalog) and its deterioration has been the subject of some discussion in the past. In later states a developing collapse under the 9 ends up obscuring much of the repunching in that digit. By the way, a good way to ID this die is by referring to the die cracks, as well as the characteristic repunching of the 5. As far as I'm concerned the prices in the catalogs refer only to an early state example with the repunching of the 9 fully visible. When the collapse appears and begins to obscure the repunching the value drops off dramatically in my opinion. It's practically vanilla, then.