270

1853 DERI octagonal 1 Dollar, BG-514, High Rarity 5, Die State II (vertical crack on obverse down fr

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:1,000.00 USD Estimated At:2,000.00 - 4,000.00 USD
1853 DERI octagonal 1 Dollar, BG-514, High Rarity 5, Die State II (vertical crack on obverse down fr
Preview
Holabird-Kagin Americana Office
3555 Airway Drive Suite#309
Reno, NV 89511
Thursday April 11, 10am-6pm
* Preview also available by appointment

Live Auction
Friday & Saturday
April 12-13, 2012
9am PDT starting time, both days

Location
Atlantis Casino & Resort
Grand Ballroom #4
3800 S. Virginia Street
Reno, NV 89502

Lot Pick Up
Holabird-Kagin Americana Office
3555 Airway Drive Suite #309
Reno, NV 89511
Sunday April 14th, 10am-1pm

1853 M. Deriberpie, the maker of an extensive series of signed octagonal dollars, was arrested on April 12, 1853 for making them--together with his associates Antoine Louis Nouizillet and Isadore Routhier--and charged with counterfeiting. The police found "a number of dies elegantly executed...in the house of one of them on Broadway." Though the exact disposition of this case is unknown, it is obvious from the lots that follow, some dated 1854, that he beat the rap. (See Lot 213.) He and his partners evidently used more than one press at once, setting them up simultaneously, then tearing down the setups to strike half dollars and returning the dies to a die box; latter strikings of dollars would result in random die marriages of all dies still in use. (This seems to be the only explanation of why Deriberpie would need so many dies, and why die marriages exist with broken and new dies seemingly struck "out of order.")

A specimen of this exact type was recovered from the wreck of the sidewheel steamer S.S. Winfield Scott, which sailed December 1, 1853. Head of Liberty leans back, 8 stars around, coronet points nearly to middle of top edge; CALIFORNIA GOLD/ DERI around 1/ DOLLAR/ 1853. Rare. Beautiful frosty Brilliant Uncirculated, undergraded by PCGS! PCGS MS62. Serial# 26897441 Totheroh Collection HKA#63624