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1830 N-9 R6+ F12. The Discovery Coin.

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:4,000.00 USD Estimated At:8,000.00 - 0.00 USD
1830 N-9 R6+ F12. The Discovery Coin.
1830 N-9 R6+ F12. The Discovery Coin. Fine-12. Sharpness VF30 or better but there is a dull dig on the neck, a scrape on the rim under the date, and the surfaces are covered with uniform fine granularity under a mostly glossy dark olive brown patina. There are traces of verdigris in some of the protected areas of the reverse, but they take a strong glass to find and are not at all distracting. EDS, the only known die state. The obverse die is well worn while the reverse is new with sharp details and slightly reflective fields. This is the discovery coin, the discovery made by Frank Andrews sometime between 1881 and 1883. Today the total known is 19, and most of those are in low grade and have significant defects. This one is the fifth finest in both census lists. Bland says net F12+ while Noyes says VF30 net F12, his photo #25286. Removed from an NCS slab graded "XF details, obverse damage," and the NCS label is included. Comes with a distinguished provenance, as you would expect. DWH #2610.
Estimated Value $8,000-UP.

Provenance: Ex Frank D. Andrews-unknown-Howard R. Newcomb, J. C. Morgenthau 5/45:620-Floyd T. Starr, Stack's 6/13/84:240-Wes Rasmussen, Heritage 1/13/05:3577 (the attribution and Rasmussen provenance are noted on the NCS label). Dan Holmes was the underbidder on this cent when it was sold in the Starr sale in 1984 and he had to wait more than 20 years for another chance to own it. When Dan obtained the nicer Wright plate coin offered here as the preceding lot, he decided to keep the discovery coin as a duplicate because of its important history. As Dan often says, "The coin is only a cent; the story is what you pay for." Comes with the neatly inscribed Newcomb collection pillbox.