1833 1C, RB MS(PCGS#1697)

August 2020 U.S. Coins Auction

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

1098

等级

MS66RB

价格

83,365

详细说明

Remarkable 1833 N-6 Cent in PCGS MS-66 RB Ex Commodore Perry Collection 1833 Matron Head Cent. N-6. Rarity-1. MS-66 RB (PCGS). Type:Matron Head. Design: Obv: A head of Liberty faces left with 13 stars around the border and the date 1833 below. She is wearing a coronet inscribed LIBERTY, her hair tied into a bun at the back of her head by a plain cord. Rev: A circular wreath encloses the denomination ONE CENT with the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA around the border. Weight Standard: 10.89 grams. Diameter: 28-29 mm. Die Variety: Newcomb-6. Obv: Wide Date with star 1 close to the end of Liberty's bust and the letters IB in LIBERTY almost touching. Close inspection with a loupe reveals repunching to the letters BERTY. The 1833 N-6 represents the only use of this obverse die. Rev: The letter C in CENT is nearly closed, extra lines are evident below the base of the letter T in the same word and at the top of the second letter T in STATES. The 1833 N-6 also represents the only use of this reverse die. All die marriages of this issue correspond to the single Guide Booklisting for the 1833 Matron Head cent. Die State: Noyes A/B. Obv: Perfect with minimal flowlining evident around the periphery. Rev: Several prominent cracks are evident: through the base of the letters ICA in AMERICA, the stem, ribbon, then turning down sharply to the border before the letter U in UNITED; a second crack originates where the first turns down to the border and continues through the ribbon end and the base of the letters in the words UNITED STATES OF; a third crack from the middle of the letter O in OF, through the adjacent F and the base of the letters AME in AMERICA; another crack through the tops of the letters MERIC in AMERICA; one final, tiny crack joins the left upright the diagonal of the letter N in UNITED. Edge: Plain. Mintage for the Issue: According to Mint records, 2,739,000 cents were delivered during calendar year 1833. The actual mintage from 1833-dated dies is less, however, since the reported total includes the 1831 N-4 variety, which was struck in between the 1833 N-4 and 1833 N-1. All three varieties share the same reverse die. Estimated Surviving Population for the Die Variety: Rarity-1: More than 1,500 coins in all grades. Strike: Well centered on the planchet with full denticulation around both sides, although the borders are a bit thinner along the upper left obverse and reverse than elsewhere. Stars 9 to 11 are blunt and lack centrils, stars 8, 12 and 13 also a bit soft, as are some of the leaves in the wreath and the letters in the words OF AMERICA. Liberty's portrait is boldly to sharply defined and the overall design is suitably bold. Surfaces: Frosty in texture with a hard, tight appearance to both sides. Dusky sandy-brown patina is dominant, although there is considerable rose-red mint color in the protected areas around the obverse periphery, the wreath, and most letters on the reverse. Smooth with no troublesome marks, faint flyspecks on the reverse are evident only upon close inspection with a loupe. Commentary: This handsome 1833 N-6 cent was once part of the collection of Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry (1794-1858), best known for negotiating the opening of the then-closed Japan to foreign trade during the 1850s through "battleship diplomacy." By anchoring a group of warships in Japanese waters Perry was able to force negotiations with Japan, demanding permission to deliver a letter from President Millard Fillmore. The boats were referred to by the Japanese as "Black Ships," a term that later became synonymous with threatening foreign powers. The final recorded military mission in Japan that involved ninja activity was during this event. The Japanese sent ninja Sawamura Yasusuke to board Perry's ship with instructions to gather information that would reveal the commodore's intentions. While the ninja was successful in boarding the commodore's ship, the success of the mission is questionable. Sawamura Yasusuke was able to gather some paper documents as well as make detailed descriptions of the ships. However the language barrier hindered him from gathering documents that were of any strategic value. When translated, the documents turned out to be letters "extolling the delights of French women in bed," and "British women in kitchens." They were essentially letters from sailors describing exploits with women and cooking recipes. Among his numismatic pursuits, which were diverse and aided by his foreign travels, Perry sought to assemble a date set of United States large cents. Many examples were undoubtedly acquired directly from commercial channels, perhaps even the 1833 offered here. In 1898, 40 years after Perry's death, New York City coin dealer Lyman H. Low was contracted to appraise the coins in the Commodore Perry Collection. When offered in our (Bowers and Merena's) January 1995 sale, this 1833 cent was accompanied by an envelope -- since lost -- on which Low described the coin as, "Rare so perfect." Today the conditionally rare nature of this fabulous example is just as obvious, as evidenced by the exceptional grade of MS-66 RB assigned by PCGS. Tied for CC#9 with two others in the Noyes census, this is a lovely and highly significant coin destined for another advanced cabinet. Provenance: From the ESM Collection. Earlier ex Commodore Matthew C. Perry; our (Bowers and Merena's) sale of the Commodore Matthew C. Perry Collection, January 1995, lot 1040; Heritage's sale of the Joshua and Ally Walsh Collection of United States Cents, January 2006 FUN Signature Auction, lot 617. PCGS Population (all die marriages of the issue): 3; with a single MS-66+ RB finer in this category. PCGS has also certified an example in MS-65 RD, the only coin in that category. PCGS# 1697. NGC ID: 225P. Click here for certification details from PCGS.