LOT Old Heritage Auctions  /  2007 May/June Long Beach, CA Sig. US Coin #438  / 

56

1796 1/2 C No Pole--Corroded--NCS. XF Details. C-1, B-

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money Start Price:6,000.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
1796 1/2 C No Pole--Corroded--NCS. XF Details. C-1, B-
<B>1796 1/2 C No Pole--Corroded--NCS. XF Details.</B></I> C-1, B-1a, R.6. Die State I. The 1796 No Pole to Cap half cent is among many legendary rarities from the year 1796. It is also among the most elusive of all U.S. half cent varieties, and one that holds a special cachet for generations of collectors. The Mint is recorded to have delivered 1,390 half cents on October 14, 1796, constituting the entire delivery of half cents for the year. Most of them were clearly the 1796 With Pole variant, which is today considered very scarce or R.4 (76-117 specimens known). The No Pole variety is measurably rarer, at R.6 (13-30 specimens known). The best current estimate for the number of pieces existing is less than 30, three of which are Uncirculated. Nearly all known examples, including the present piece, show the prominent transverse die break on the obverse, crossing from the rim at 2:30 through Liberty's nose, nearly brushing the bottom of the cap, and to the rim at 9 o'clock. In this die state, the break is lighter on the left side of the coin than on the right, and on this particular specimen it is only faintly visible on its left side. This variety's rarity is undoubtedly due to the obverse die having shattered soon after being put into service, so that a new With Pole obverse was paired with the same reverse.<BR> This piece shows deep olive-brown surfaces, with a trace of auburn in the right obverse field. The noted corrosion is extensive but microscopic, so that much pleasing detail remains. The tresses of Liberty's hair are well delineated, and the fold in the cap is bold, as are LIBERTY and the date. The reverse is About Uncirculated in terms of detail, with all design features and legends not only clear, but bold. The dentilation is prominent on the left half of each side, likely the product of die misalignment.<BR> Only three times previously have we offered 1796 No Pole half cents at auction--one of which went unsold--since we began maintaining our permanent auction archives more than 13 years ago. Two of those pieces were uncertified Fine 12 and VF20 specimens; the third was a Fine 15 PCGS example in our February 2000 Long Beach Signature Auction (auction 222, lot 581), which brought $47,150. In terms of the details grade, this is <I>the finest 1796 No Pole Heritage has ever had the privilege to offer, and well within the Condition Census for the variety.</B></I> EAC 12.<BR><BR><I>Ex: Hollinbeck-Kagin Coin Co. 299th Sale (1/1973), lot 177; Hollinbeck-Kagin "Quarter Millennium Sale," Part Three (3/1964), lot 1456; previous provenance uncertain.</B></I><BR><BR><b>Shipping:</b> Coins & Currency (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.heritageauctions.com/common/shipping.php">view shipping information</a>)
Sign In to Bookmark Lot