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1915 Five-Piece Proof Set NGC.... (Total: 5 coins)
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Description
Strong 1915 Proof Set
Last of the Barber Series
1915 Five-Piece Proof Set NGC. The year 1915 marks the end
of the first era of high-distribution silver proof sets. It had not
been the Mint's intent to strike Barber coinage in the early part
of 1916, the traditional season for proof strikings at that time.
Even when the Barber design was continued into 1916 on the dime and
quarter, as delays in the finishing of those denominations' new
designs ran into the needs of commerce, proofs were not struck. As
discussed under 1916, complications with the new silver designs
contributed to the end of the Mint's proof program. Thus, the
brilliant proof Barber silver coins of 1915 were the end of the
line, at least until the resumption of proof sets in 1936.Production of silver proof sets in 1915 was low, though not so depressed as in 1914; proof strikings for the three silver denominations amounted to 450 pieces each in 1915, a figure that seems downright healthy compared to the 380 proof quarters and halves struck the year before. Still, between collector distaste for the design on the silver proofs and disdain for the matte proof finish on the cents and nickels, signs of purchasing fatigue are easy to read.
Today, the silver proofs of 1915 experience considerable demand, particularly the half dollar, which (like the 1914 proof half) is associated with a low-mintage business strike of the same date. In his Proof Encyclopedia, Walter Breen makes the intriguing note: "Numerals on all 1915 dimes cruder than on any preceding years." Among matte proof issues, cent production beat that of the nickel, 1,150 pieces to 1,050 specimens; but in both cases, the numbers are part of a continuing decline that would not stop until the terminal issues in 1916.
1915 Cent PR65 Red and Brown. Copper-orange color, faded on the reverse but bright on the obverse, puts a distinctive accent on this otherwise violet-brown Gem proof, which is decisively detailed and attractively preserved for the grade. A few small splashes of bluish color are noted in the field just above the date.
1915 Nickel PR66. Glimpses of peach, pink, and champagne patina visit parts of the margins, leaving the rest of this gorgeous proof virtually nickel-white. Exactingly struck with a few tiny flyspecks visible at the upper reverse that are mentioned strictly for accuracy.
1915 Dime PR64. A subtly but delightfully toned near-Gem with light blue, emerald, and forest-green shadings over intensely mirrored surfaces. The portrait shows a pleasing level of frost, and a few dots of deeper color are present within the reverse wreath. A handful of tiny hairlines account for the grade.
1915 Quarter PR64. Far more boldly toned than the dime, with blue, orange, and lavender peripheral shadings that are at their most intense along the lower obverse rim. Faintly silver-gray centers show a degree of contrast. Two small contact marks, one near Liberty's jawline and the other close to the truncation of the bust, contribute to the grade.
1915 Half PR64. This coin shows a return to colors close to those of the dime, with muted olive-gold and blue most prevalent. The obverse has an untoned core, while the reverse is almost completely patinated. A faint fingerprint is visible below the eagle's tailfeathers.
From The Boca Collection, Part One.
View all of [The Boca Collection, Part I ]
Auction Info
2010 January Orlando, FL FUN US Coin Auction #1136 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
January, 2010
6th-10th
Wednesday-Sunday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 20
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 2,942
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
15% of the successful bid per lot.
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