1804 10C 14 Star Reverse MS(PCGS#4475)

August 2021 ANA U.S. Coins Auction

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

4053

等级

XF45+

价格

427,577

详细说明

Lovely 1804 JR-2 Dime 14 Stars on Reverse 1804 Draped Bust Dime. JR-2. Rarity-5. 14 Stars on Reverse. EF-45+ (PCGS). Here is an extraordinary example of this legendary Draped Bust dime. This beautiful Choice Extremely Fine specimen offers both absolute and condition rarity. It also displays outstanding eye appeal, with the obverse toned in a bold blend of steel-gray, olive-charcoal, powder blue and reddish-apricot, while the reverse exhibits sweeping halos of cobalt blue and reddish-apricot peripheral toning around a silver-gray center. Some old scratches are noted at the lower obverse. Softness of detail in isolated areas is characteristic of the die pairing, all examples of which are incomplete along the left obverse border, at and around the highest star on the reverse, and around the entire reverse border. This piece is appreciably bold elsewhere, and it is actually among the sharpest examples of the variety extant. With faint traces of original mint luster and an exceptionally smooth appearance, this is a Condition Census 1804 JR-2 dime whose offering in this sale represents an important opportunity for specialists. Only 8,265 dimes were produced in 1804, down sharply from the previous year. Two die pairs were employed, JR-1 using a reverse die with 13 stars above the eagle's head, and this, the JR-2 with 14 stars. It is this reverse die that tells a particularly interesting story for students of early mint operations. When the Heraldic Eagle reverse was first designed for the quarter eagle in 1796, the 13 stars above the eagle's head were arranged in straight almost cross-like patterns, an identifying feature of dies by John Smith Gardner. In 1798, engraver Robert Scot rearranged the stars in an arc with a single star flanking each side of the eagle's head. The older cross-patterned stars reverse were all retired by 1799, except for this inexplicable die with 14 stars. Because the pattern fits Gardner's design aesthetic, it is believed this die was engraved before the switch to the arc layout and it was noticed that there was an extra star so was set aside for a rainy day. Evidently that day came in 1804 when it was put into use for both the quarter eagle and the dime. While the obverse designs were completely different, the Heraldic Eagle reverses of both the dimes and quarter eagles were the same. Because the diameters of the two denominations were essentially identical, the Mint could use the reverse dies interchangeably between the two coins as there is no mark of value on the reverse die (a useful bit of cost savings for the always budget-conscious Mint officers). Such is the case here with the JR-2 dime. It is not absolutely certain which came first, the dime or the quarter eagle; because the cracks on this die were not severe, the precise sequence has not been conclusively determined. The current consensus is that this reverse die was used on the BD-2 quarter eagles first, lapped, then repurposed to coin all the JR-2 dimes. The JR-2 is the rarer of the two varieties of the 1804 Draped Bust dime, and with only one single exception is found in circulated grade levels of preservation. (The exception is the NGC MS-63 coin most recently sold at auction in Heritage's April 2013 sale of the William Jacob Collection, Part II.) Highly coveted for generations, the acquisition of a Choice EF example such as this would be a significant achievement for any numismatist. PCGS Population: 1; 5 finer (AU-58 finest). PCGS# 4475. Click here for certification details from PCGS. Image with the PCGS TrueView logo is obtained from and is subject to a license agreement with Collectors Universe, Inc. and its divisions PCGS and PSA. Click here to see Coins in Motion.[“Coins]