LOT Old Heritage Auctions  /  2008 April Rosemont, IL (CSNS) US Coin #1104  / 

2377

1839 50C Drapery PR64 NGC

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:22,000.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
1839 50C Drapery PR64 NGC
<B>1839 50C Drapery PR64 NGC.</B></I> Ex: Pittman-Kaufman. The rarity of the 1839 proof With Drapery half dollar is attested to by the solitary example certified by either NGC or PCGS-this NGC-graded PR64 coin out of the John Jay Pittman and the Phil Kaufman collections. A second proof was reportedly part of the Norweb Collection (Breen incorrectly called it No Drapery), sold to the family by Hollinbeck Coin Company, but that piece turned out to be a prooflike example and not a true proof.<BR> Very little reference to this issue is found in the numismatic literature, and what does appear is cryptic. In their <I>Complete Guide to Liberty Seated Half Dollars</B></I>, Randy Wiley and Bill Bugert indicate that the With Drapery variety is unknown, obviously unaware of the Pittman-Kaufman example. Walter Breen, in his 1989 proof <I>Encyclopedia</B></I> only says "extra fold of drapery at elbow. Menjou:15, possibly reappearing as Lichtenfels I:2799. Unverified." Abe Kosoff sold the Menjou Collection in June 1950, and Abner Kreisberg joined with Hans Schulman to sell the Lichtenfels Collection in February 1961.<BR> David Akers, in his cataloging of the 1839 With Drapery proof from the John Jay Pittman Collection (5/1998), lot 1517, reports that Pittman bought the coin from the Kreisberg-Schulman sale of the Gustav Lichtenfels Collection (2/1961), lot 2799. The coin is thought to have previously been in the Virgil Brand Collection.<BR> For those who desire a concise roster:<BR><BR><B> 1. PR64 NGC.</B></I> Gustav Lichtenfels Collection (Kreisberg-Schulman, 2/1961), lot 2799; John Jay Pittman (David Akers, 5/1998), lot 1517; Phil Kaufman Collection.<BR><BR> Deep mirrored fields, including areas within the shields, greet the viewer of this wonderful near-Gem. Whispers of light gold patina around the margins take on faint reddish-tan hues, and relatively strong field-motif contrast, particularly on the reverse, becomes evident when the coin is tilted under a light source. A solid strike brings out virtual fullness in the design features, save for minor softness on the star 7 centrils. A few unobtrusive field hairlines and some minute marks on the lower part of Liberty's left (facing) arm preclude full Gem classification.<BR> It is seldom that one has the opportunity to bid on a coin that appears unique <I>and</B></I> exhibits outstanding technical quality and aesthetic appeal. These attributes make this proof 1839 With Drapery half dollar one of the most important bidding opportunities in the Kaufman Collection sales.<BR><I>From The Phil Kaufman Collection of Early Seated Proof Sets, Part Three.</B></I><BR><BR><B>Coin Engraver:</B> Christian Gobrecht<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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