1804 Spiked Chin, B-4a, C-5, High R.3, MS62 Brown PCGS. Our EAC Grade AU55....

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Description

1804 B-4a, C-5 Half Cent, MS62 Brown
Condition Census

1804 Spiked Chin, B-4a, C-5, High R.3, MS62 Brown PCGS. Our EAC Grade AU55. Equivalents. Ross 2-A; Gilbert-1; Empire-42; Cohen-5; Breen-4a; Bowers-Whitman 2b; Eckberg 2a-A.
Rarity. High R.3. A significant number of unattributed examples have been located over the past two decades, bringing the rarity rating down from Low R.4 to High R.3. Eckberg's estimate of 200 surviving examples falls in the middle of the Bowers-Whitman estimate of 150 to 250 known examples.

Obverse 1a is the same physical die as Obverse 1, now damaged. This damaged die appears on Breen-4a, 5, 6, and 7. A prominent, low-relief spike extends from Liberty's chin, providing the popular "Spiked Chin" name of this die, a "tongue" appears between Liberty's lips, and on most examples long and slightly curved die lines are seen in the right field opposite Liberty's neck.

Reverse B appears on Breen-2, 4, and 4a. There are 16 leaves and five berries in the left branch, and 19 leaves and five berries in the right branch with stems extending both branches past the ribbon ends. The numerator is tall and centered between the fraction bar and the ribbon knot. The denominator is extremely wide under a short fraction bar that fails to cover the 2 or the final 0. The bases of all Ts are defective. AMER are closely spaced and RICA are widely spaced in comparison. All letters in HALF CENT are separated.
Edge. Plain.
Surfaces. A lustrous olive-brown half cent, this piece has splashes of rich blue-steel toning and traces of mint red on the reverse.
Die State. Manley Die State 5.0 with a heavy bisecting crack on the reverse.

Appearances. Illustrated at the PCGS Set Registry record of the McGuigan Collection.
PCGS Population (5/2022). The PCGS population data records 12 Spiked Chin half cents that grade MS62 Brown, with 32 finer pieces for all four varieties. Just two of those coins are attributed as B-4a, C-5, both grading MS62 Brown.
Commentary. The finest examples known to us are the present piece, an MS62 Brown NGC example that appeared in our 2012 Central States Signature auction, and the MS62 PCGS Missouri Cabinet coin that has an obverse corrosion spot and is graded XF in the Breen-Hanson Condition Census. That census also records an Uncirculated piece in a California collection as "Unequaled, the only true mint state 1804 G-11!"

The earliest die states, Manley 1.0 and 2.0, lack the Spiked Chin feature and are described in some references with a different variety number.
McGuigan Commentary. Choice lustrous medium brown surfaces with traces of faded mint color around the devices and lettering. Late die state (M5.0) with the bulge in the right obverse field and extensive reverse die breaks, including one left from the rim to "A" in STATES through the upper leaves on the left stem to the "L" in HALF, to the "T" in CENT, and then to the lower leaves on the right to the "C" in AMERICA. Another break encircles the reverse from the rim below the first "0" in 200 through the bases of UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. One of the two or three finest known examples of the variety.
Provenance. Ex: Gene Braig (11/2002).
Personality. Known as Gene among his friends, Eugene Charles Braig, III was a Palo Alto, California native who was born on May 23, 1942. After earning his bachelor's degree from the University of Notre Dame, he earned a Master's of Business Administration from Baldwin Wallace College in Ohio and was a financial administrator for General Motors. A half cent collector since the mid-1970s, Braig's collection included 94 of the 99 circulation-strike half cent varieties. He was also a pinball enthusiast who was a member of several local and national collecting groups. He passed away at North Ridgeville, Ohio on January 16, 2012.
From The James R. McGuigan Half Cent Collection.

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 222G, Variety PCGS# 35152, Base PCGS# 1075, Greysheet# 80881)

Weight: 5.44 grams

Metal: 100% Copper

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