LOT #5197 |
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1855 G$1 MS66 NGC....
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Sold on Apr 19, 2012 for:
$35,937.50
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Description
1855 Type Two Gold Dollar
Thickly Frosted MS66 Example
1855 G$1 MS66 NGC. In numismatic parlance, a variety
is a coin issue that differs intentionally when
struck from the norm (as opposed to errors, which are
unintentional). In the case of the 1855 gold dollars, they may not
be accurately called varieties, since except for post-strike
variations such as wear, luster, and so forth, one appears the same
as another. PCGS defines variety thusly:"A coin of the same date and basic design as another but with slight differences. PCGS recognizes all major varieties while there are thousands of minor varieties, most of which have significance only to specialists of the particular series. After hubbed dies, introduced in the 1840s, varieties are mainly variations in date and mintmark size and placement."
The gold dollars of 1855 are particularly interesting, however, for the style of their slanting 55 digits -- even if not technically a variety. For numerals of this style, many numismatists have used the terms slanting or slanted interchangeably with italic. Purists (and dictionaries) insist, however, that even an upright digit can be applied to a die on a slant, whereas italic describes a type style in which the characters themselves slant upward to the right.
In a June 2002 article titled "A New Slant on Coins of 1850-56" from The Numismatist, Craig Krueger and John W. Dannreuther discuss the phenomenon of italic 5s on several U.S. coinage denominations and types of the period. The main thrust of the article is that "after examining all U.S. coin denominations in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution and the American Numismatic Society, it is irrefutable that the 5 in all denominations of U.S. coinage was italic between 1850 and 1856, and that upright non-italic date logotypes followed their slanting counterparts."
The authors further note:
"For gold dollars, the degree of slant on the 5 begins to increase in 1850 and mysteriously stops altogether in 1857. On the 1855 Type II gold dollar, slanting is observed in both 5s. In the 1856 the Mint produced 'Upright 5' specimens, apparently in a shift away from slanting numerals. (Large cents also appear to have been targeted for this 'improvement' in 1856.)"
The present coin shows strong definition on both of the italic 5s in the date, only the top of the 8 displays any of the usually seen softness. The mint luster is thick and frosted and die clashing is seen in the fields on each side, as normally encountered. What is most obviously lacking on this example of the 1855 Type Two are the abrasions that typify so many coins in this short-lived type. Census: 9 in 66, 4 finer (2/12).(Registry values: N10218)
Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 25C4, PCGS# 7532, Greysheet# 8016)
Weight: 1.67 grams
Metal: 90% Gold, 10% Copper
Auction Info
2012 April 18-22 US Coins & Platinum Night CSNS Signature Auction- Schaumburg #1169 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
April, 2012
18th-22nd
Wednesday-Sunday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 36
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 1,116
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
15% of the successful bid per lot.
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