1858 1C Small Letters PR(PCGS#2043)

1858 1C Small Letters PR (PCGS#2043)

The June 2013 Baltimore Auction

详细说明: 1858 Flying Eagle Cent. Small Letters. Snow-PR1. Proof-64 (NGC). High Leaves Reverse, Type of 1857. The deep golden-tan mirror surfaces of this Proof Flying Eagle cent rarity reveal pale rose and blue iridescence. The devices are boldly rendered throughout with all of Longacre's tiny design details present under low magnification; many <em>prooflike </em>examples exist but their strike is often lacking in detail. The rarity of Proof Flying Eagle cents of any date or style is well-known, and often many of our sales go by without an example -- in this sale we are blessed with more than one. The rarity of the issue is further discussed in Whitman Publishing's <em>A Guide Book of Flying Eagle and Indian Head Cents </em>by Rick Snow: "Proof Flying Eagle cents are some of the most attractive coins in numismatics! They all are rare, so when examples become available they are very expensive or sell very quickly. Most if not all of the Proof issues were struck to be included in a 12-piece pattern set the Mint sold to collectors between 1858 and 1860." Some 150 to 200 or so of those sets were produced over the years, and a Proof mintage of 200+/- for the date is generally agreed upon. Of those, the pieces with the High Leaves on the reverse, as here, are somewhat scarcer than the Low Leaves variety. Our offering of the present coin represents an ideal opportunity for an advanced student of the series.