1897 $10 PR66 Ultra Cameo NGC....

Description

Exquisite PR66 Ultra Cameo 1897 Ten
Former Bass, DiBello, Atwater Example

1897 $10 PR66 Ultra Cameo NGC. Ex: Bass. Although it is obvious at first glance that the present piece is a proof, it also meets the diagnostics that Walter Breen set in his Proof Encyclopedia. The date slants slightly up, and exhibits repunching on the flag and base of the 1 and on the peak of the 7. Breen stated that the eagle is "the rarest [proof] denomination of the date, probably under 40 surviving."
The proof 1897 was well made, since both motifs as well as the legends and stars display deep cameo frost that contrasts splendidly with the glassy fields. The strike is exacting, perhaps incomplete only on the eyebrow. The preservation is exceptional, since a high-powered loupe can locate only inconsequential imperfections, limited to a trace of a spot east of the 7 in the date, and a solitary hairline beneath the nose.
Harry W. Bass, Jr. assembled one of the finest collections of gold coins ever known. In terms of die varieties of early gold, he had no equals. Louis Eliasberg had a more complete collection by date, if only because he managed to acquire the 1822 half eagle that somehow escaped Bass when Eliasberg's gold collection was auctioned in 1982. Bass did acquire Eliasberg's unique 1870-S three dollar piece, which can be seen today in the Colorado Springs ANA museum. Cost was no object for Bass, and he could afford the finest quality when such pieces became available. That quality is exemplified by the present specimen. Census: 1 in 66 Ultra Cameo, 1 finer (1/08).
Ex: William Cutler Atwater Collection, (B. Max Mehl, 6/46); Gaston DiBello Collection (Stack's, 5/70), lot 1135; Harry W. Bass, Jr. Collection, Part II (Bowers and Merena, 10/99), lot 1646.
From The Ultra Collection.(Registry values: P1)

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 28G4, PCGS# 98837, Greysheet# 9710)

Weight: 16.72 grams

Metal: 90% Gold, 10% Copper

Note for clients in the European Union: This lot is considered by the European Union to be “investment gold”. We believe that it meets the criteria established in Article 344(1), point (2) of Council Directive 2006/112/EC and thus should be exempt from import VAT regardless of the selling price. Any questions or concerns about VAT should be addressed to your accountant or local tax authority.

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