1840 H10C No Drapery PR(PCGS#4410)
1840 H10C No Drapery PR (PCGS#4410)
November 2017 Baltimore U.S. Coins Auction
- 拍卖行
- Stack's Bowers
- 批号
- 10031
- 等级
- PR66
- 价格
- 175,024
- 详细说明
- Exceedingly Rare Proof 1840 No Drapery Half Dime The Pittman-Gardner Specimen Tied for Finest of Just Five Examples Known 1840 Liberty Seated Half Dime. No Drapery. Proof-66 (NGC). An exquisite specimen that is tied for finest known for this extremely rare early Proof Liberty Seated half dime issue. Both sides are richly original in appearance with bold charcoal-mauve patina blanketing the surfaces. Shimmering reflectivity to the finish is readily appreciable as the coin rotates under a light. Fully struck, expertly preserved and highly appealing. As the advanced numismatist will immediately recognize, this is an exceedingly rare type and issue in Proof format. The 1840 No Drapery half dimes were prepared at a time when the Mint had not yet started marketing yearly Proof coinage to contemporary collectors. Mintages for these specially prepared coins were not recorded at the time, and only a small number of pieces were produced. They were not offered publicly, but rather were struck for inclusion in special presentation Proof sets that were generally reserved for official purposes. In his cataloging for Part I of the John Jay Pittman Collection sale, David W. Akers estimates that no more than 10 Proof sets were prepared in 1840, a figure that seems reasonable given that only five Proof 1840 No Drapery half dimes are currently known. One of the extant specimens is unavailable for private ownership as it is permanently impounded in the Smithsonian Institution's National Numismatic Collection. Of the other four pieces, the only one that rivals the present Proof-66 in quality is the identically graded Kaufman-Greensboro specimen. The other two examples are the Eliasberg-O'Neal and Allenburger-Bareford specimens. With so few examples known, it should come as no surprise to read that our offerings for this issue have been few and far between over the years. Once the present coin sells it is likely to remain off the market for many years, which probability prompts us to encourage a strong bid from the astute collector who seeks to add this important rarity to their holdings. The brevity of the No Drapery design type and the even greater rarity of the Proof 1838 and 1839 further enhances the significance of this offering. The five known Proof 1840 No Drapery half dimes are as follows: 1 - NGC Proof-66.Ex O.K. Rumbel of Mission, Texas, sold to the following for $20 on August 21, 1947; John Jay Pittman; David W. Akers' sale of the John Jay Pittman Collection, Part I, October 1997, lot 460; Superior's sale of May 2003, lot 2327; Heritage's sale of the Eugene H. Gardner Collection, June 2014, lot 30215; our Baltimore Auction of March 2016, lot 13036. The present example. 2- NGC Proof-66.Ex Heritage's sale of the Phil Kaufman Collection of Early Proof Sets, Part I, August 2007, lot 1779; Heritage's sale of the Greensboro Collection, Part V, January 2014, lot 5182. The coin was previously certified Proof-65 by PCGS. 3 - PCGS Proof-64.Ex our (Bowers and Merena's) sale of the Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. Collection, May 1996, lot 950; Heritage's FUN Signature Auction of January 2012, lot 3118; Heritage's sale of the Jim O'Neal Collection of U.S. Type, Part I, April 2014, lot 5554. 4 - Gem Proof.Ex B. Mex Mehl's sale of the Dr. C.A. Allenburger Collection, March 1948, lot 987; our (Stack's) sale of the Harold S. Bareford Collection, October 1981, lot 59. To the best of our knowledge this coin has yet to be certified by either PCGS or NGC. 5 - Proof.National Numismatic Collection in the Smithsonian Institution. PCGS# 4416. NGC ID: 2358. Combined PCGS and NGC Population: 2, both at NGC; 0 finer. Provenance: Ex O.K. Rumbel of Mission, Texas, sold to the following for $20 on August 21, 1947; John Jay Pittman; David W. Akers' sale of the John Jay Pittman Collection, Part I, October 1997, lot 460; Superior's sale of May 2003, lot 2327; Heritage's sale of the Eugene H. Gardner Collection, June 2014, lot 30215; our Baltimore Auction of March 2016, lot 13036.