Owner Comments:
I searched for TEN YEARS for this piece!
Most examples were flatly struck and abraded with a washed out look and were selling for stupid money.
I saw this piece on a dealer's website and was IMMEDIATELY moved by it. I figured that it had been sold but decided to call, anyway. The adrenaline rush that I had, when I found that it was still available....The elation at striking a fair deal! Once in a lifetime piece....
The thumb and head are sharper than ANY I've seen. It also has a VERY attractive skin to it. It simply HAD to have been stored and preserved for many, many years. Maybe in a leather purse?
It is very smooth and clean with little to no abrasions, especially on the sun, outstretched arm of Liberty and the right facing field on the obverse. The eagle's breast and trailing leg are also quite clean on the reverse with some beautiful original toning.
I KNOW that I'll never find a better example, unless I want to buy an MS 65 for $225K.
Mintage is at 1,165,000.
Most valuable and rarest issue, in the whole series, in MS 65 gem and finer. Only ONE MS 66 exists with NONE finer.
My coin is AT LEAST a MS 64 or a 64+ example, IMHO.