3044

[L#3044] 1859 1c PCGS PF64

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money Start Price:500.00 USD Estimated At:2,000.00 - 3,000.00 USD
[L#3044] 1859 1c PCGS PF64
Wonderful light wood grain effect in the surfaces of this smartly struck, well preserved Proof. The 1859 is a one-year Type. Popular and important because of this, beginning in 1859 the mint struck cents with Longacre's Indian head design and a simple reverse depicting a Laurel wreath around the denomination, "ONE CENT". It isn't a secret, but the obverse portrait is actually "Lady Liberty", a Caucasian representation of Liberty borrowed from Longacre's Three Dollar Liberty head of 1854. She is wearing a headdress of a Native American of the Chippewa tribe. The reverse is actually an olive wreath, although the laurel wreath description is more accurate as laurel leaves are visually similar. <I>A Guide Book of United States Coins.</I> lists Proof mintage as only 800 pieces, but this my be a "best guess" since Mint records were vague and contradictory from the period of the mid 19th century.