| Description: |
with original shipping envelope bearing stamps and wax seals; another envelope from a
previous sale has a hand-written Walter Breen note in pencil rather than his typical
bright pink or violet felt tip marker renderings. Most significantly, however, the coins
are completely original in color and surface, a very important consideration for
connoisseurs in today's numismatic climate. Additionally, the toning is uniform and
attractive in appearance: * Cent. Proof-66 RB. A frosty Matte Proof Lincoln, just the way
an RB should appear, with a generous amount of original mint bloom mingling with deepening
red, gold, and smoky pale violet * Nickel. Proof-67. A truly splendid gem Matte Proof
Buffalo nickel, the highlight of the group in this writer's eyes—though you can blame
the favoritism on the design type and nothing else. Essentially flawless matte surfaces
glow with lively pale gold, faint heather, and satiny pale electric blue * Dime. Proof-66.
A bit of mint brilliance resides among the rich gunmetal-blue highlights, with splashes
here and there of fiery orange, crimson, violet, and gold on the obverse, the reverse
dominated by gunmetal-blue and underlying gold * Quarter. Proof-66. Vivid toning
highlights similar to the other silver pieces * Half dollar. Proof-66. Rich toning
highlights similar to the other silver pieces. An incredible offering of delightfully
original Proofs of 1914, cent through half dollar, a set that has been out of the
numismatic mainstream for nearly 30 years, only now making a grand appearance for the
delight of a new generation of coin enthusiasts. Accompanied by the original shipping
envelope with appropriate postmarks and stamps (two 2¢ carmine or rose) and two imprinted
sealing wax drops, one broken where the envelope was opened, as well as by the original
soft paper used to wrap the pieces for shipment. It is hard to imagine a better
"go-with" than those offered with this grand prize. (Total: 5 pieces, plus paper
ephemera).This amazing 1914-dated five-piece Proof set made its first public appearance in
Lester Merkin's sale of March 6-7, 1968, held at the Drake Hotel on Park Avenue in New
York City. Amazingly, this particular Proof set was offered in a run of 19th and 20th
century Proof sets that appeared in Merkin's catalogue as 299 to 325. Among the other
dates represented were 1877 through 1880; 1882 and 1883; 1885 through 1890; 1892 through
1902; 1906; 1913 (2); 1914; 1916. Regarding this offering of Proof sets, Merkin's
cataloguer, perhaps even Walter Breen, noted the following: |
