Canada: George V Cent 1936 Dot,...

Description

Legendary 1936 Dot Cent--Finest of Three Known

George V Cent 1936 Dot, KM28, Specimen 66 Red PCGS, Ex: Belzberg. Amongst the most famous rarities in Canadian numismatics, struck in 1937 prior to the creation of coinage dies for George VI but never released for circulation, the 1936-dated Dot cent has seen its reputation grow exponentially since its discovery. It was long considered essentially uncollectible, since noted numismatist John Jay Pittman had held all three known examples from 1961 until his death, but the three-part auction of his collection brought all three back onto the market: the first in October 1997 and the other two (including this piece) in August 1999. The three 1936 Dot Cents, now well-scattered, generate great excitement whenever one appears on the auction block.

The description of this piece that appeared in the catalog for The John Jay Pittman Collection, Part Three, penned by David Akers, elegantly sums up the coin's attributes. It appears below:

"One Cent, 1936. Dot below date. Gem Specimen. Lightly lacquered at the Mint to preserve its original color and the quality of its surfaces. This objective has been achieved and the coin is basically 'as struck' with all of its original mint red color intact. This piece is fully struck with a sharp, fully mirrored edge and bold design details. There are a few areas of minor discoloration in the lacquer, but no impairments to the actual surfaces of the coin. The fields have many fine raised die scratches resulting from extensive polishing of the dies. This is by far the finest of three known examples and it could not be improved upon in any significant respect."

The only additional note this cataloger would make is that this piece is easily identified as having come from the complete Dot Specimen set. The best diagnostic is the thin streak in the lacquer that passes from the right reverse rim through the tip of the nearby maple leaf and into the space between ONE and CENT.

Ex: T. Roberts, employee of the Royal Canadian Mint; Mrs. T. Roberts, widow of the preceding; John Jay Pittman, 1954, sold as part of the 1936 Dot Specimen set for $250; John Jay Pittman Collection, Part Three (David Akers, 8/1999), lot 2486a, uncertified, sold as part of the same set for $345,000; The Sid and Alicia Belzberg Collection of Canadian Coinage (Heritage, 1/2003), certified as Specimen 66 Red by PCGS, lot 15608, sold alone for $230,000.
From the Canadiana Collection

Metal: Bronze
Diameter: 19.10mm
Weight: 3.24g

More information about Canadian Coins. See also: Canada World Coin Nationality.

View Certification Details from PCGS