Owner Comments:
This is the rarest of the three "Official Medal" compositions. I am not sure what to make of this medal and whether it is some kind of off-metal test strike or what the exact origin is. I am still looking for a confirmation of the attribution, but I have read that only the Brass and Silver medals were for sale at the expo.
This is the Hibler-Ostheimer specimen. It is a gem Red-Brown example that is clearly different than the typical HK289. Verification of metal content is mandatory on these, especially on circulated pieces. It's not just enough to visually identify a worn piece looks like an old penny versus an aged and worn brass piece. For many years, the only graded examples on the NGC pop reports were an XF-40, AU-55, and this MS65 RB. A few more examples have seemed to appear and disappear, as I had an AU53 that was retested for metal content and was reverted back to an HK-289! And there was a MS64 BN that seems to have been removed for the population a few years back.
At the end of 2017 and beginning of 2018, a few examples must have hit the market as the pop reports exploded with a MS 64 BN (since removed), two MS 65 BN, a MS 64 RB, and another MS 65 RB. I have seen most of these new additions either in person or by photo and they are truly spectacular. The newer examples are actually bronze not copper. I plan to submit this Ostheimer specimen for evaluation and perhaps we will learn that HK-288s should be cataloged as bronze and not copper as originally attributed in the book.
The HK-288 remains a true rarity at R7. This specimen is the tied for the finest known.
NGC Pop 8/7/18, same on 1/15/23
1 - XF40 BN
1 - AU55 BN
2 - MS65 BN*
Total = 4 in BN, 1 - 25%
1 - MS64RB*
2 - MS65RB*
Total = 3 in RB, 2 - 67%
Total = 7, 3 - 43%