LOT Old Heritage Auctions  /  2008 Jan. FUN Signature Coin Auction #454  / 

3026

1844 50C PR66 Cameo NGC

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:130,000.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
1844 50C PR66 Cameo NGC
<B>1844 50C PR66 Cameo NGC.</B></I> Ex: Pittman-Kaufman. Only two 1844 proof half dollars have been certified. The NGC census records the Premium Gem Cameo proof Kaufman coin, and a PR62 piece. PCGS has not certified a single example of this rarity. The Kaufman specimen was part of the John Jay Pittman 1844 Proof Set "In Original Case of Issue" sold by David Akers Numismatics, Inc. in October 1997. Akers writes:<BR><BR>"The non-gold coins in the 1844 set were purchased by JJP as an original Proof set in the original case (with price list) from Abe Kosoff of Numismatic Gallery on 4/5/48 for $400. (Almost certainly this is the set formerly owned by Dr. J. Hewitt Judd, a good friend of both JJP and Abe Kosoff.)" Akers continues: "It is likely that only 10-15 Proof sets were issued in 1844 ... ."<BR><BR> Randy Wiley and Bill Bugert, writing about the 1844 circulation strike and proof half dollars in their Seated half dollar reference<I>, </B></I>say of the proofs "less than 10 known." Interestingly, after 20 years of third party grading, the population reports show a mere two certified examples, an NGC PR62 and the NGC PR66 Cameo specimen in the Kaufman cabinet.<BR><BR> Based on our research of auction records, we provide the following roster of 1844 proof half dollars:<BR><BR><B>1. Proof 66 Cameo. The Kaufman specimen.</B></I> Numismatic Gallery (4/1948); John Jay Pittman (David Akers, 10/1997), lot 833; Philip Kaufman. Part of Pittman's 1844 proof set. The Seated silver coins have been kept intact by Phil Kaufman.<BR><BR><B>2. Proof.</B></I> Stack's (1/1974), lot 1437; Robison Collection (Stack's, 2/1982), lot 1622.<BR><BR><B>3. Proof.</B></I> Stack's (9/1993), lot 358. Stack's described this piece as a hairlined example, although they did not plate the coin in their catalog. It is probably different than the Robison coin, and is certainly not the Smithsonian or Pittman coins.<BR><BR><B>4. Proof. </B></I>Smithsonian Institution.<BR><BR><B><I>Additional Appearances</B></I></B></I><BR><BR><B>A. Impaired Proof.</B></I> Kreisberg-Schulman (2/1961), lot 2816. Not plated. Described as having "numerous tiny field scratches." It is possibly the same as the Stack's 1993 specimen.<BR> <BR> Soft reddish-gold patina dominates the obverse central device on the current Pittman-Kaufman coin. This turns to cobalt-blue, violet, and gold in the fields. The reverse is a lighter, more uniform champagne-gold with just a hint of blue at the margins. A well executed strike brings out intricate detail on each of the design elements, which are noticeably highlighted by the bright mirrored fields. While we note a few faint hairlines in the fields that are only visible under magnification, we can discern no marks that might help identify the coin for future catalogers.<BR><I>From The Phil Kaufman Collection of Early Seated Proof Sets, Part Two.</B></I><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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