1786 VT 1/2P Vermontensium, BN MS(PCGS#545)

December 2020 U.S. Coins Auction

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

2061

等级

AU50BN

价格

29,887

详细说明

Superior Quality 1786 RR-6 Vermont Copper Landscape, VERMONTENSIUM 1786 Vermont Copper. Landscape. RR-6, Bressett 4-D, W-2020. Rarity-2. VERMONTENSIUM. AU-50 (PCGS). This is a truly exceptional example of a type that is often encountered with prominent flan flaws, poor striking detail, and/or significant impairments. Conversely, both sides of this coin are smooth in hand with no significant planchet flaws, marks or other blemishes. Handsome autumn-brown patina dominates the in hand appearance, the surfaces with plenty of good gloss. Light surface scale at and around the letters ARTA in QUARTA is noted solely for accuracy, close inspection of that area with a loupe revealing extremely minor roughness in the planchet. The obverse is off center to 6 o'clock, the lower border through the date and the adjacent letters VER and LICA. The reverse is better centered, and both sides exhibit bold to sharp striking detail to all features that are present on the planchet. There is no sign of the obverse crack from the lower border through the center of the date to the plow that characterizes late state examples of RR-6. This is the popular "Floating Tree" variety of the Landscape Vermont copper, so named due to the fourth (from the viewer's left) obverse tree in the design: it floats in mid air and does not touch the mountain below. Writing in Mason's Coin and Stamp Magazine, April 1867, Ebenezer Locke Mason, Jr. described two additional features of this obverse die: "The tree to the extreme right does not touch the bank upon which it was intended to stand, but is perceptibly to its right...A third difference is the duplicate letter U in 'PUBLICA,' which the artist, it would appear, made to run too much inwards, so that he duplicated it in a more proper place, but neglected to erase the original. This is my theory--others may suggest a more plausible one." In addition to these distinct features, RR-6 is popular with numismatists as the most available variety of Landscape Vermont copper. Bowers (2018) provides an estimate of 500 to 999 coins extant in all grades, and he lists 17 auction appearances for coins grading AU or finer during the 21st century. This, indeed, is the "type" variety for collectors seeking a single Vermont copper to represent the Landscape design. As with all varieties in this challenging series, however, locating an attractive and relatively problem free RR-6 is not an easy task. As Carlotto (1993) notes: "I have encountered uneven striking with this particular variety more often than with any of the other landscapes. This leads to one small problem: it is very difficult to find specimens with full legends on both sides. The beginning of the word Vermontensium is weakly struck in most cases...Another problem occurs with many varieties being weakly struck at the lower half of the obverse and the corresponding area on the reverse." The present example, well defined, as described above, is of further significance due to the lack of significant planchet flaws that plague Vermont Landscape coppers of all die pairings. With its combination of superior striking quality and outstanding surface preservation, this coin will be perfect for a nice type or variety set. Provenance: From our (Coin Galleries') sale of November 1982, lot 1313; Heritage's CSNS Signature Coin Auction of May 2007, lot 45. PCGS# 545. Click here for certification details from PCGS.