LOT #41 |
Sold on Sep 10, 2009 for: Not Sold
1831 1/2 C PR50 PCGS....
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Sold on Sep 10, 2009 for:
Not Sold Description
Important 1831 C-1 Original Half Cent, PR50
1831 1/2 C PR50 PCGS. C-1, B-1, Low R.6. The 1831 Original half cents provide numismatists with some controversy. Past descriptions have noted the existence of both business strikes and proofs. However, today there is some debate about the true status of these coins. PCGS considers all 1831 half cents to be proofs, as do many dealers and collectors. Others continue to suggest that both striking formats exist. Regardless of how they are described, less than 30 examples are known in all grades, including nine or ten that grade PR60 or better, and 18 to 20 circulated examples such as the present piece. Walter Breen and Roger Cohen believed that business strikes exist, based mostly on the reported 2,200 coin mintage. Earlier numismatists, such as Ebenezer Gilbert felt the variety is a proof-only issue. More recently, Ron Manley agrees with Gilbert, and suggests that the reported 2,200 coin mintage was actually the initial delivery of 1832 half cents.We are unaware of any accurate, up-to-date census records for this variety. Walter Breen recorded 21 business strikes and nine proofs in his 1983 Half Cent Encyclopedia. The prior provenance of this example remains hidden, although it may be one of those listed in the Breen Encyclopedia that are unlocated after decades in hiding.
This glossy light brown example has some splashes of darker brown toning, along with traces of pale green patina. The surfaces are moderately abraded, consistent with the grade of a coin that spent a short time in circulation. There is no evidence of proof surface on either side, and the strike is average. It is those two factors that suggest to us the possibility that this coin was a business strike rather than a proof. MRB PR45.(Registry values: P6)
Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 2236, PCGS# 1186, GSID# 543)
Metal: 100% Copper
Weight: 5.44 grams
Weight: 0.19189oz
Auction Info
2009 September Long Beach, CA Signature US Coin Auction #1129 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
September, 2009
10th-13th
Thursday-Sunday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 11
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 2,243
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
15% of the successful bid per lot.
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