1803 B-2, C-2, R.4, AU55 PCGS. CAC. Our EAC Grade XF45. ...

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1803 B-2, C-2 Half Cent, AU55
Cohen and Breen Plate Coin

1803 B-2, C-2, R.4, AU55 PCGS. CAC. Our EAC Grade XF45. Equivalents. Ross 1-D; Gilbert-4; Empire-31; Cohen-2; Breen-2; Bowers-Whitman 2; Eckberg 1-A.
Rarity. High R.4. The 1803 B-2 half cent is the scarcest variety of the date. Current scholars suggest a surviving population of about 100 examples (Eckberg) or 80 to 120 pieces (Bowers-Whitman). Fuhrman writes that he has recently found about 20 of these unattributed, mostly in low grades.
Obverse 1 appears on Breen-1, 2, and 4. The date is well-spaced with 03 slightly closer than 180. The serif of the 1 is close to the hair curl and the hair above the curl. The 3 is distant from the drapery and the border, slightly favoring the drapery. The upper left serif shows recutting from a larger 3 that was initially punched in the die. LIBERTY has LI close, IBE wide, and ERTY moderately spaced. The T has vestigial serifs.
Reverse B appears on Breen-2. There are 16 leaves and five berries in the left branch, and 19 leaves and five berries in the right branch. The tops of UNI are slightly lower than TED, ES is slightly high, and all letters of AMERICA are separated. All Ts are defective with missing or vestigial left bases. The T in CENT has its right base visible on top of the adjacent leaf. The fraction is low with the numerator distant from the ribbon knot. The denominator is well spaced with a short fraction bar that begins over the right edge of the 2 and ends over the left curve of the second 0. Both ends of the fraction bar terminate in minuscule points.
Edge. Plain.
Surfaces. Although lightly cleaned and now attractively retoned light brown with steel and blue-green overtones, this piece has earned a straight-grade from PCGS due to its exceptional eye appeal.
Die State. Manley Die State 3.0. This is an earlier die state before reverse rim breaks developed.

Appearances. Plated in the second edition of Roger Cohen's American Half Cents, the "Little Half Sisters." This is the Breen plate coin on page 216 of his Half Cent Encyclopedia. Illustrated at the PCGS Set Registry record of the McGuigan Collection. The State 3 plate coin on page 67 of Ed Fuhrman's The Half Cent Handbook, Draped Bust Varieties, 1800-1808.
PCGS Population (5/2022). For all varieties of 1803, PCGS has certified 25 submissions as AU55, one AU55+, 28 in AU58, and 24 Mint State pieces. However, just 15 examples are certified as C-2, and the present piece is the finest of those.
Commentary. This is the finest known example of the scarcest 1803 half cent variety, graded XF in the Breen-Hanson Condition Census.
McGuigan Commentary. Cleaned and retoned a glossy iridescent bluish-brown. Early to middle die state (M3.0) with light cracks through the reverse letters, but without the rim cud. Finest known of this very rare variety. Breen plate coin (p. 216).
Provenance. Ex: R.H. Underhill (Thomas L. Elder, 1/1929), lot 1119; James G. McAllister; Joseph Brobston (Stack's FPL# 69, 1/1963); Phillip Showers (Stack's, privately, 1969); Willis H. DuPont; Fred S. Werner (2/1976); Superior (2/1976); Joe Flynn & Son (4/20/1976); Missouri Cabinet (Goldberg Auctions, 1/2014), lot 55.
Personality. James Greiss Macallister was born at Philadelphia on February 7, 1892. His World War II draft registration card records his occupation as "Numismatist" and he resided at 5647 N. 16th Street in Philadelphia. He was the son of J. Wylie and Martha (Greiss) Macallister and was married to Irene Tollinger according to his death certificate that is dated October 12, 1945. He was just 53 years old. An authority on United States coins and a life member of the American Numismatic Association per his obituary that appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Macallister is best remembered for cataloging the Howard Newcomb collection just prior to his death in 1945. He participated in many Wayte Raymond catalogs and wrote articles for Raymond's Coin Collector's Journal.
From The James R. McGuigan Half Cent Collection.

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 222E, Variety PCGS# 35131, Base PCGS# 1060, Greysheet# 80874)

Weight: 5.44 grams

Metal: 100% Copper

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