1944 1C Steel MS(PCGS#82722)

The August 2013 Chicago ANA World's Fair of Money

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

4411

等级

MS64

价格

972,625

详细说明

Choice Mint State 1944 Steel Cent Rarity Tied for Finest Certified by PCGS Premium Quality for the Grade 1944 Lincoln Cent--Struck on a Steel Planchet--MS-64 (PCGS). CAC. Secure Holder. A bright and lustrous steel gray example with exceptional eye appeal. The surfaces are mark free save for a few specks seen under low magnification; the viewer will be hard pressed to find any other blemishes of note. Like its 1943 bronze cent counterpart, the 1944 steel cent is a highly prized error that has enchanted collectors since its discovery by collector Richard Fenton in 1945. While not as well known as its famous 1943 bronze counterpart, the 1944 steel cents are still rare in the ultimate sense. Fewer than 30 Philadelphia Mint 1944 steel cents are known; the 1943-D steel cent comes in at fewer than 10 pieces known; the 1944-S steel cent is thought to be unique. According to the Lange reference on the series, a single Mint State specimen of this rarity -- along with a Mint State 1943 bronze cent -- was given to the Mint's chief engraver, John R. Sinnock, a coin collector himself, who later presented the pair to a "female acquaintance." The pair of cents passed through the hands of several well-known coin dealers including Harry J. Forman and John J. Ford, Jr., who consigned the coins to the Bowers and Ruddy 1981 ANA auction sale where the steel cent appeared as lot 415. The present piece is tied for finest certified by PCGS, and its quality far exceeds the Sinnock piece, as a quick comparison to pictures of that coin will confirm. What may very well be the finest knownof this rare steel cent error is offered here, and we wish all interested bidders the best of luck when it crosses the auction block. PCGS# 82722. PCGS Population: 2; none finer. No other Mint State examples have been certified by PCGS in any grade.