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2070

1794 1C Head of '95. AU58 PCGS. S-68, B-60, R.5

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:48,750.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
1794 1C Head of '95. AU58 PCGS. S-68, B-60, R.5
<B>1794 1C Head of '95. AU58 PCGS. S-68, B-60, R.5.</B></I> <B>Bland AU55; CC-1. Noyes MS60; CC-1. Photo #21047. Our EAC Grade AU55.<BR><BR>Equivalents. </B></I>Hays 55; McGirk 4-K; Ross 34-DD; Chapman 54; EAC 58; <I>Encyclopedia </B></I>1669; PCGS #1365.<BR><B><BR>Variety. </B></I>Head of '95; bisecting diagonal obverse crack. Double leaf below OF; top terminal leaf bent upwards. The obverse appears on S-68. The reverse appears on S-66, S-67, S-68, and S-69. Lettered Edge, leaf points up.<BR><B><BR>Surfaces. </B></I>Like the S-66 in the Husak Collection, this S-68 is the finest known example of the variety, and an aesthetically pleasing specimen. The obverse has blended light and darker brown with hints of cartwheel luster. The reverse has smooth olive-brown surfaces. There are no blemishes on either side. The H and final D on the edge are filled with Homer Downing's yellow ink.<BR><BR><B>Die State V.</B></I> The terminal die state for the variety with a complete bisecting die crack across the obverse, slanting slightly upward from horizontal. The crack begins at about 8:30, crosses the left field and hair, disappears along the cheek due to a trace of wear, and continues from the nose to the border about 2 o'clock.<BR><BR><B>Appearances. </B></I>The obverse and reverse are illustrated in Noyes (1991 and 2006), and in Breen's <I>Large Cent Encyclopedia</B></I>.<BR><BR><B>Census. </B></I>Called AU55 by Bland and MS60 by Noyes, this specimen is easily the finest known example. Second best grades no better than XF40. In <I>Penny Whimsy</B></I>, Sheldon wrote: "The finest one seen is the Saltus-ANS-Downing coin; graded MS60 in EAC, it is here corrected to AU55."<BR><BR><B>Commentary. </B></I>The "Bisecting Break" variety is another rarity that is known to the extent of fewer than 40 pieces, to the best of our knowledge. The variety is "another well-known landmark," according to Sheldon.<BR><BR><B>Provenance. </B></I><I>J. Sanford Saltus (10/1899); ANS (12/1950); Homer K. Downing (New Netherlands, 1952 ANA), lot 1700, $340; Harold Bareford (12/1985); Herman Halpern (12/1986); R.E. Naftzger, Jr.; Dr. Allen Bennett.</B></I><BR><BR><B>Personality. J. Sanford Saltus</B></I> is known as the man who gave his life to numismatics. He was born on March 9, 1853, in New Haven, Connecticut, and died on June 24, 1922 in London. The coroner's report is that his was "Death by Misadventure." Found in his hotel room was a glass of ginger ale and also a glass containing a solution of potassium cyanide used for cleaning coins. It is believed that he drank from the wrong glass. Saltus served as corresponding secretary of the ANS from 1897 to 1898 and again from 1900 to 1905. He also served as president of the New York Numismatic Club and the British Numismatic Society.<BR><BR><b>Shipping:</b> Coins & Currency (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.heritageauctions.com/common/shipping.php">view shipping information</a>)
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