LOT #3736 |
Sold on Jan 8, 2009 for: $218,500.00
1831 25C Large Letters PR66 Cameo NGC....
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Sold on Jan 8, 2009 for:
$218,500.00
Bid Source: Live: Phone bidder
Description
Spectacular 1831 Proof Quarter, PR66 Cameo
B-5 The Norweb Specimen
1831 25C Large Letters PR66 Cameo NGC. B-5,
R.7 as a proof. This cataloger spent substantial time studying the
current offering before thinking to look at the assigned grade. The
beauty of this incredible proof quarter is simply mesmerizing and
technicalities, such as which company certified the coin and what
grade was assigned, mean little.Frosty, razor-sharp details seem to float atop intensely reflective fields that are reminiscent of a modern proof issue. Light amber centers gracefully transition to pleasing hues of electric-blue iridescence at the peripheries on both sides of this Premium Gem proof. The strike--or strikes, as the case may be--was so powerful and exacting that details not typically seen on even the finest business strike examples of this issue are clearly visible: the most intricate details within the recesses of Miss Liberty's hair and the nuances of every feather on the eagle's wings. A mint-produced flaw in the right obverse field stands as a pedigree marker for future numismatists.
Proof strikings of this variety are rare. Since only eight or so specimens are believed extant, it did not take long for us to trace this piece to a famous collection. Using plate matching techniques were are certain that the current offering is the Norweb coin. Other important 1831 proof quarter examples include the Eliasberg and Pittman specimens, both of which were described in their respective catalogs as having light hairlines and minor abrasions. This piece, although imperfect, is a true Premium Gem proof and likely one of the finest extant representatives.
The subject of pre-1834 proof coinage is controversial since freshly lapped dies will produce coins with reflective surfaces. However, even old-school students of early American coinage would have to agree that the coin offered here must have been specially prepared. Regarding the B-5 proof quarters Walter Breen, in his Encyclopedia of United States and Colonial Proof Coins (1977), offers a possible reason for their production: "Mint Director sent 20 'specimens' to President Jackson ... and 20 more to Treasury Secretary Ingham. These may not all have been proofs. Occasion: new modified design by Kneass, using beaded borders and close collar."
As of (11/08), only one other 1831 quarter--a PR65 coin--has received a Cameo designation at NGC. PCGS records one piece at the PR66 level, but without indication of the surface characteristic. The specimen offered here represents not only the finest quality available for the date, but also an important provenance.
Ex: Richard Picker (late 1950s); Norweb Collection (Bowers and Merena, March 1988), lot 1548, where it realized $27,500.
From The Deb-Ann Collection.
See: Video Lot Description
Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 23SB, PCGS# 5378, GSID# 5082)
Metal: 89.24% Silver, 10.76% Copper
Weight: 6.74 grams
ASW: 0.19338oz
Mintage: 20
View all of [The Deb-Ann Collection ]
Auction Info
2009 January Orlando, FL FUN Auction #1121 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
January, 2009
7th-11th
Wednesday-Sunday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 13
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 7,617
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
15% of the successful bid per lot.
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