Owner Comments:
PCGS graded MS 66 RB, EAC MS65
Variety: N-6, MDS
Ex: Blaisdell, Bland, Naftzger
This coin has excellent surfaces, with no noticeable contact marks. The luster is very nice, but the RB designation was given mostly on the merits of the reverse side. The strike is good except for typical weakness in details of the stars.
I bought this coin in February 2009 (Super Bowl Sunday) in the Goldbergs' sale of the Ted Naftzger collection. Money was running low, but I had enough, maybe, for one more coin. I was looking to upgrade a 64BN 1838 that was nice except for a couple bits of distracting lighter toning on the portrait. As expected, the 67BN N-4 sold for a high price. (Those darn registry collectors!) In my final pre-auction prep, I had not indicated that I should bid on this 66RB, but my notes did not indicate why; older notes simply said "nice", and a healthy maximum bid. When the bidding started low, I jumped in and got it, still low.
Paste the following into your browser for my journal entry about this coin:
http://coins.www.collectors-society.com/JournalDetail.aspx?JournalEntryID=5274
From the Goldberg's catalog:
Lustrous light chocolate and bluish steel brown with slightly faded mint red showing through in the fields and protected areas on both sides, at least a third of the surface displaying some faded mint color. Virtually flawless, a beautiful cent with great eye appeal. A microscopic planchet chip near the dentils over the left side of star 7 is the only mark. MDS with fine radial die flowlines covering the fields but the spike from the leaf tip below the R in AMERICA remains clear. Called MS65 and tied for CC#2 in the Bland census. Noyes says MS63 and tied for CC#3, his photo #28682. Our grade is MS65.
Photo credit: Electric Peak Collection