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 Replies: 26 / Views: 3,830 |
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Pillar of the Community
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4691 Posts |
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Bedrock of the Community
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94367 Posts |
Jim - Who claims this? Is it SBG?
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
4691 Posts |
This is the Stacks Bowers Description: 1857 Braided Hair Half Cent. B-1, C-1. Rarity-7+ as a Proof. Proof-63 BN (PCGS). An attractive and elusive rarity with dominate sea-green hues and blooms of crimson color surrounding the devices. The complexion is largely brilliant, with glossed and bold devices set against semi-reflective fields. Smooth and free of notable abrasions beneath a glass, a Mint-made lint-mark at Liberty's nose serves as a convenient pedigree marker. While commonly offered in circulation-strike format, Proofs from the Breen-1 dies are incredibly rare, with just 5-7 known. Most Proofs from this issue were struck by the Breen-2 dies, which features prominent doubling on the T of CENT and the ribbon below. We have not handled a Proof from these dies in recent memory, emphasizing the significance of this offering for advanced specialist in the Half Cent series. |
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Pillar of the Community
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No one offering an opinion on this? Unusual for this forum.
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Pillar of the Community
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789 Posts |
I'd like to help, but I'm dazzled by the dominate sea-green hues and blooms of crimson color surrounding the devices.
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Bedrock of the Community
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20753 Posts |
I'm always amazed at how anyone knows what is what from that far back. What dies were used in 1857? I sometimes wonder if anyone really knows what dies were used yesterday for any coins.
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Pillar of the Community
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7375 Posts |
I don't know anything about these, but did a little research. Couldn't find anything in my Breen's Encyclopedia. looked on Heritage, and saw a few of the recut ENT less rare varieties. Your ENT does not look recut, so you might have the rare one indeed. One heck of a nice coin. Great price too.
Edited by edweather
08/09/2020 10:23 am
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Bedrock of the Community
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17884 Posts |
The dies appear correct, but I'm not sure it is a proof. (all the business strikes were struck from these dies as well.)
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Pillar of the Community
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Pillar of the Community
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Now that's it's established it is a breen-1 no one answered if it was worth sending back to PCGS for the designation. Since the Id is easy and obvious once you reference breens book probably no reason to have it attributed, plus reference is also established from the stacks description which becomes its provenance. No previous sale of this particular example has been found by me.
Edited by jimbucks
08/14/2020 6:22 pm
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Pillar of the Community
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7375 Posts |
for a coin worth 3 grand, I would definitely look into getting it attributed by PCGS. That's an easy call in my book.
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Pillar of the Community
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1275 Posts |
really nice coin, good eye
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Pillar of the Community
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4691 Posts |
I just came across this EXACT coin auctioned at Heritage in 2006 in an NGC MS-64 BN holder. Not PF but MS. That is a huge value difference. Either NGC or PCGS got it wrong. What should I do?  Edited by jimbucks
08/19/2020 02:52 am
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Pillar of the Community
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3234 Posts |
I might consider contacting a dealer that specializes in copper. Maybe more than one dealer. They might also have a contact for you that can give this a good lookover. In my view, if the coin has all the characteristics of a Proof, especially sharp edges, then it's probably a Proof. Of course, an expert might be able to say definitively (as attempted in the above descriptions) based on what the known Proof dies were. If this coin was struck with dies only used to strike Business strikes, then it's a Business strike.
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Pillar of the Community
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4691 Posts |
The dies themselves do not resolve the matter. Per Breen, there were 2 dies and both were used to strike business and proof issues. Does the auction house have any responsibility in disclosing the coin was previously in a MS holder?
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Pillar of the Community
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1543 Posts |
Quote:
What should I do? You should consider that perhaps the TPG's are completely arbitrary with there designations. |
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Replies: 26 / Views: 3,830 |
Posted 08/06/2020 9:03 pm
