1783 MD 6P Chalmers, Large Date MS(PCGS#594)

The March 2013 Baltimore Auction

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

203

等级

F12

价格

95,326

详细说明

1783 John Chalmers Sixpence. W-1770. Large Date, Period After Date. Fine-12 (PCGS). 24.69 grains. A lovely example of the rarest of the Chalmers denominations, scarcer than the threepence and far more elusive than either variety of worm shillings. Golden gray with good eye appeal for the grade despite scattered light marks. The star at central obverse is ill-defined, as usual even on high grade pieces. The reverse shows significant failure and swelling under SIX PENCE. This is the large date, not a separate variety but a late and re-engraved die state; traces of the original small date are actually visible beneath this larger, fatter numerals. The initials TS at the points of the reverse cross for Thomas Sparrow, the engraver, are still plain, though the T is much better defined. Nice quality for this issue, which almost always shows some kind of damage or serious problem. A handful of high grade examples are known, but are now so costly as to be out of the reach of most collectors. The Ford specimen, now housed in a VF-35 (PCGS) holder, brought $31,625 in our August 2011 ANA sale. The holed and plugged Craige duplicate brought $8,625 in our November 2012 C4 sale. This one will bring somewhere in between, but undoubtedly not enough considering the great rarity and interest of this issue, struck in Annapolis while the Continental Congress met a (literal) stone's throw away up Cornhill Street. The last Fine we offered was the F-15 (PCGS) from the Maryland Historical Society, which brought $19,550 in November 2009. PCGS has certified a total of 7 Chalmers sixpence in all grades.