1857 1/2C, RB PR (PCGS#1333)
Spring 2022 U.S. Coins Auction
- 拍卖行
- Stack's Bowers
- 批号
- 3007
- 等级
- PR66RB
- 价格
- 63,042
- 详细说明
- Desirable Gem Proof 1857 Half Cent
Ex Partrick
1857 Braided Hair Half Cent. B-2. Rarity-4. Proof-66 RB (NGC).
This is a pretty half cent with splashes of steely-brown toning that are most prevalent in the obverse field. Considerable mint color in deep reddish-rose is also evident, which brightens to more of a pinkish-orange shade at direct lighting angles. Fully struck with broad rims and reflective fields, the Proof status of this coin is definitive. It is an expertly produced, carefully preserved Gem that will please even the most discerning numismatist.
By 1857 both the half cent and large cent had become unpopular with the public, their circulation limited and generally confined to the East. So unpopular had the half cent become in recent years, in fact, that the coinage of circulation strikes from 1832 through 1836 took several years to be fully distributed into commerce. Accordingly, no half cents were struck from 1837 through 1839, and from 1840 through 1848 only Proofs were produced. Circulation strike coinage resumed in 1849 on a limited basis, continuing through 1857 in generally dwindling numbers with an interruption in 1852 when, again, the Mint struck only Proofs.
The Act of February 21, 1857, reformed the nation's copper coinage by abolishing the half cent and replacing the large cent with the smaller copper-nickel cent. In addition to being unpopular, the older copper coins had become increasingly costly to produce, Director James Ross Snowden reporting that they "barely paid expenses" incurred in producing and distributing these pieces. The Mint's final issue of half cents amounted to 35,180 circulation strikes and an unknown number of Proofs. According toPCGS CoinFacts, only 250 or so Proof 1857 half cents are extant. Thanks to the efforts of Mint Director Snowden, the Mint had been steadily increasing distribution of Proof coinage to collectors through the late 1850s, explaining the number of Proof 1857 half cents extant. The historic significance of this final year issue further explains why the 1857 is the most popular Proof half cent among specimen type collectors. The present Gem, with an impressive provenance, is sure to see spirited bidding.
Provenance: From our (Stack's) sale of January 1958, lot 531; our (Stack's) sale of the Estate of Corrado Romano, June 1987, lot 140; The Rarities Group, June 29 1987; Donald G. Partrick; Heritage's sale of the Donald G. Partrick Collection, April 2021 CSNS Signature Auction, lot 3789.
NGC Census: 2; 0 finer in this category. The corresponding PCGS Population is also 2/0.
PCGS# 1333. NGC ID: 26ZY.
Click here for certification details from NGC. Additional image by NGC Photo Vision. Learn more at NGCcoin.com
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