| Description: |
Copper. Reeded edge. A stunning specimen certain to draw gazes of desire from any
dedicated pattern enthusiast. Bright orange-red mint color has just begun to fade at the
peripheries to pleasing deep red with traces of pale blue and green iridescence. The
fields are reflective, with heavier mirrors on the obverse than reverse, and the eye
appeal is nothing short of amazing. Nice frosted devices, immaculate fields, neither
hairlines nor flyspecks coming to the fore as expected, only a tiny speck between stars 10
and 11 and another at Liberty's raised forearm will identify this piece for future
researchers. A new pattern enthusiast could perhaps become spoiled with the sort of
quality shown in the East Coast Collection, but copper dollar trials in this superb state
of preservation of are the highest rarity - we seriously doubt any other specimen of
Judd-1020 is finer than this coin. In fairness, we should note that the last piece to
cross the auction block, the Lohr specimen graded Proof-66 RB by PCGS which sold in 1994,
is a lovely gem but the surfaces are not as bright with mint color as this coin. This is
the piece noted in the Pollock book as "in a renowned Florida collection" and it
serves as the plate coin in the new Judd 8th edition. The coin was struck from 1870 Proof
die pair #1 (Breen-5482 for silver strikes), from a reverse die also used in 1869. Less
than a dozen are known, only five have been certified, and the only two public offerings
since 1990 were the same coin. This superlative gem appeals equally to Seated dollar and
pattern collectors and should see active competition before disappearing from the market
for many more years.NGC Census: 1; none finer. PCGS has graded a single piece Proof-66 RB
with none finer out of a total of 4 pieces certified by them, including one ay
Proof-50.From Auctions by Bowers and Merena, Inc.'s sale of January 1986, Lot 3167. |
