LOT Heritage Rare Coin Galleries  /  2006 November Signature Coin Auction #420  / 

82

1829 1C PR64 Brown NGC. N-6, Low R.7 as a proof. The 1

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:1.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
1829 1C PR64 Brown NGC. N-6, Low R.7 as a proof. The 1
<B>1829 1C PR64 Brown NGC.</B></I> N-6, Low R.7 as a proof. The 1829 N-6 is readily secured as a business strike, but proofs are extremely rare. Walter Breen, in his 1988 <I>Complete Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial Coins,</B></I> states under Breen-1841, "at least 6 proofs of N-6." A few years earlier, in his <I>Encyclopedia of United States and Colonial Proof Coins,</B></I> he pedigreed seven examples, with the Brand specimen (#7) listed as possibly the same as the Beckwith example (#2). Eliasberg, of course, used a proof to represent the 1829 cent within his legendary "complete" collection. The Bowers and Merena catalog description for that piece states, "Perhaps 10 proofs are known of this variety, in the cataloger's opinion, although John Wright suggests 12 to 16."<BR> Heritage has not auctioned an example in proof format, dating back to 1991 when our archived records begin. In the approximately 20 years of operation of NGC and PCGS, the services have encapsulated a total of 12 proofs for the 1829, which presumably are from N-6 dies. Most of these pieces were bronzed at the Mint. Breen states this technique involves coating a planchet or a struck example with bronzing powder and baking it. This technique was used mostly on 19th century Mint medals, although some proof patterns, half cents, and cents were also bronzed. The present example does not appear to be bronzed, and in fact shows traces of the original orange-gold color, particularly on the reverse legends and wreath. The strike is sharp aside from stars 6 to 9, consistent with the Breen's comment that "all proofs have the top four stars weak." Star 8 is repunched, which helps identify this Large Letters variety. The dies are rotated counterclockwise perhaps 30 degrees, and the only relevant imperfections are a couple of wispy marks near the NT in CENT. The fields are nicely mirrored. The proof 1829 is the foremost large cent rarity of the date, and would be a centerpiece of even the most advanced holding of middle date large cents. EAC PR60.<BR><BR><b>Shipping:</b> Coin/Currency (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.heritageauctions.com/common/shipping.php">view shipping information</a>)
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