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Complete 20-Piece Shield Nickel Proof Registry Set, The Law Collection, Each PCGS-Certified, All But Three With CAC Green Labe... (Total: 20 coins)
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Sold on Aug 3, 2012 for:
$176,250.00
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Description
The 'Law Collection' Complete Proof
PCGS Shield Nickel Registry Set
Third All-Time Finest With Major Varieties
Complete 20-Piece Shield Nickel Proof Registry Set, The Law
Collection, Each PCGS-Certified, All But Three With CAC Green
Label.The Law Collection, now retired, is the #3 All-Time Finest Shield Nickel Registry Set at PCGS, and it is offered here in its entirety. This set comprises a complete high-grade 20-piece PCGS Registry Set of proof Shield nickels, including the important and rare 1867 Rays and all other proof issues in the series: the 1873 Closed 3, the proof-only 1877 and 1878 issues, the overdate 1879/8, through to the series-ending 1883. Numeric grades range from PR65 to PR67, but most of these coins are tied for numerically finest at PCGS. Only four issues in the Law Collection -- the 1867 Rays, 1870, 1871, and 1882 -- are known in higher grades/designations than are included here. Most are Cameo, with many Superb Gem Cameo proofs included. All but three -- 1869, 1872, 1873 Closed 3 -- are certified by CAC with the green sticker. All are noted as "Law Collection" on the PCGS blue inserts with consecutive certification numbers 25527440 through 25527459. All PCGS population figures are as of (6/12)
1866 Rays PR67 Cameo. CAC. Proof mintage (Guide Book est.): 600+. Well-contrasted with light almond-tan field color against deeply frosted steel-gray devices. An excellent start to this historic set. The tops of the 6s in the date are frosted. Several reverse stars show repunching. Plain obverse and reverse center dots, recut upright on 5. Star points to bottom-left serif in (STATE)S. This same reverse die, used only on 1866 proofs, was used for several 1865-dated patterns. Population: 3 in 67 Cameo, 0 finer.
1867 Rays PR65 Cameo. CAC. Proof mintage (Guide Book est.): 25+. Q. David Bowers and John Dannreuther estimate that 55-80 proofs may have been made, including later restrikes. In any case this is one of the original proofs (Dannreuther-1, state b), and the 1867 Rays is by far the rarest and most valuable issue of the set. The present example is also among the few finest certified. The well-contrasted surfaces show a slight lilac tinge against frosty gray devices. The left serif of 1 in the date is over the right part of a dentil; 7 in date is recut; lower shield is clear. The right inner leaf on left side is fully detached, and the right side of the left fletchings has been reduced to a lumpish dot after die lapping. One of the outer left-side leaves shows a hollow area. Population: 4 in 65 Cameo, 4 finer.
1867 No Rays PR66 Cameo. CAC. Proof mintage (Guide Book est.): 600+. Deeply mirrored and totally original with pinkish-gold coloration and excellent contrast. Trace of original 7 in date further left, two detached leaves on the lower-left triplet, attenuated left arrow shaft. Boldly struck. Population: 7 in 66 Cameo, 0 finer.
1868 PR66 Deep Cameo. CAC. Proof mintage (Guide Book est.): 600+. Narrow date, diagonal raised die lines throughout the obverse. Traces of repunching on last 8. Gleaming brilliant fields, intensely contrasted and beautiful with a trace of pinkish patina on lower reverse. A needle-sharp strike. Population: 1 in 66 Deep Cameo, 0 finer.
1869 PR67. Proof mintage (Guide Book est.): 600+. Pastel iridescent toning in jade, lilac, and saffron appears on each side. A lovely and contact-free coin for toning enthusiasts and still quite well-contrasted. Minor strike softness appears on a couple of the reverse stars. Population: 1 in 67, 0 finer.
1870 PR66 Cameo. CAC. Proof mintage (Guide Book est.): 1,000+. Tan-gold surfaces show bold field reflectivity and frosted gray devices. Many interesting raised die preparation marks appear on each side. Several of the letter tops and bottoms on the reverse are effaced due to die polishing. Population: 15 in 66 (1 in 66+) Cameo, 0 finer.
1871 PR66+ Cameo. CAC. Proof mintage (Guide Book est.): 960+. A gleaming brilliant silver-gray piece with a hint of gold and stunning contrast bordering on Deep Cameo. A razor-sharp strike throughout, tiny planchet indent as made at top of U(NITED). Population: 10 in 66 (1 in 66+) Cameo, 0 finer.
1872 PR67 Cameo. Proof mintage (Guide Book est.): 950+. Doubled Die Obverse, FS-101. Doubling appears on the cross, annulet, upper leaf edges, and shield border. Iridescent pastel concentric rainbow toning with mint, lilac, and saffron prevailing amid excellent contrast and equal eye appeal. Population: 2 in 67 Cameo, 0 finer.
1873 Closed 3 PR67. Proof mintage (Guide Book est.): 1,100+. All proofs are of the Closed 3 style. Grayish centers cede to lovely multihued iridescent toning, a bit mottled on the reverse but still close to Cameo. Population: 2 in 67, 0 finer.
1874 PR67. CAC. Proof mintage (Guide Book est.): 700+. Pale pink to ice-blue tones appear on each side. Essentially mark-free, like every proof in this high-grade set. Some raised die preparation lines appear under a loupe, more prominent on the obverse. The ICA and star nearby are weakly struck, a characteristic noted on most proof due to grease present in the die. Population: 7 in PR67, 0 finer.
1875 PR66 Cameo. CAC. Proof mintage (Guide Book est.): 700+. This Premium Gem proof boasts well-contrasted pinkish-gold surfaces on each side contrasting against the steel-gray devices. The strike is full throughout. The scarcity of high-grade business strikes, produced in the extent of only a tad more than 2 million coins, increases the popularity of proofs. Population: 6 in 66 Cameo, 0 finer.
1876 PR67 Cameo. CAC. Proof mintage (Guide Book est.): 1,150+. This fully struck Centennial issue shows almond-gold coloration in the fields contrasting boldly against thoroughly frosted devices. Highly reflective and eye-appealing. Population:.17 in 66 (2 in 66+) Cameo, 4 finer.
1877 PR67 Cameo. CAC. Proof-only. Proof mintage: 900. This is a simply gorgeous example of the key 1877 issue, with delicate pastel toning in shades of ice-blue, violet, and saffron. Highly reflective and deeply contrasted with a needle-sharp strike. Among our favorites in the set. Population: 5 in 67 Cameo, 0 finer.
1878 PR67. CAC. Proof-only. Proof mintage: 2,350. Delicate golden-pink and ice-blue patina visits each side, with some field-device contrast, but the fields are nonreflective, as often seen on proofs of this year. Population: 14 in 67, 0 finer.
1879 PR67. CAC. Proof mintage: 3,200 (including 1879/8). Under increased demand due to the low business-strike mintage of 25,900 coins. This Superb Gem shows prevailing golden hues on each side with daubs of violet near the rims on the obverse. A single contact mark appears just right of the annulet, but the eye appeal is excellent. The fields are somewhat reflective, more so on the reverse. Population: 15 in 67, 0 finer.
1879/8 PR67 Cameo. CAC. Proof mintage: unknown. Breen-2514. This variety is listed in the Guide Book and quite popular as such, although experts disagree about exactly what is under the 9. Ron Guth writes on PCGS CoinFacts that "the overdate looks less like a 9/8 than it does a 9 with raised metal within the loops of the 9." This is one of the finest certified, with splendid reflectivity and deep field-device contrast on gray-silver surfaces. The strike is full, and some tiny planchet dots on the reverse are as made at the Mint. Population: 7 in 67 Cameo, 0 finer.
1880 PR67 Cameo. CAC. Proof mintage: 3,955. "Dropped 8," Breen-2516. The second 8 in the date was first entered far too low, then corrected. Breen says this die "forms a large minority of proofs." Collector pressure is great because only 16,000 circulation strikes were coined. Deep pinkish-gold color in the reflective fields complements frosted devices. The reverse, of course, as an unquestioned proof lacks the characteristics of the 1880 business strikes as Bowers outlines in his series Guide Book. Population: 14 in 67 Cameo, 0 finer.
1881 PR67 Cameo. CAC. Proof mintage: 3,575. Like the 1880, the 1881 Shield nickels were made in small quantity, 68,000 pieces, and high-grade business strikes are seldom seen. This Superb Gem Cameo proof boasts stunning color and contrast, pale saffron centers ceding to faint lilac hues at the rims on each side. The devices are thickly frosted, and generous mirrored reflectivity prevails in the fields. Even though this set is chock-full of marvelous coins, this piece is one of our favorites. Population: 12 in 67 Cameo, 0 finer.
1882 PR67 Cameo. CAC. Proof mintage: 3,100. Most of the 2 and the lower loop of the last 8 in the date are frosted in their interiors, but we see no trace of the obvious repunching sometimes seen. There is some anomaly in the form of a bulge just below first 8, at the denticles, a known proof die characteristic. The surfaces are golden-tinged overall with generous field reflectivity and gray-frosted devices. A loupe shows some minor planchet roughness on the reverse. Population: 13 in 67 Cameo, 1 finer.
1883 Shield PR67 Cameo. CAC. Proof mintage: 5,419. The bottom loops of both 8s are filled/frosted in their interiors, as are some of the insides of the letters in IN GOD WE TRUST. The 1883 Shield nickel proofs saw the largest mintage of the series, due to the introduction of the Liberty nickel in the same year. This series-ending Superb Gem Cameo presents as largely silver-white and highly reflective, with a light golden overlay. Population: 5 in 67 Cameo, 0 finer.
Auction Info
2012 August 2-5 US Coins Signature Auction- Philadelphia #1173 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
August, 2012
2nd-5th
Thursday-Sunday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 19
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
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Buyer's Premium per Lot:
17.5% of the successful bid per lot.
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