Among
the many highlights in our Early American Coins session at our November
Baltimore Auction (presented in cooperation with the Colonial Coin Collectors
Club), is the outstanding Choice Mint State 1787 Massachusetts cent offered in
lot 5177.
We
had the pleasure of first offering this example in our sale of the Louis E.
Eliasberg Collection in May 1996. In lot 88 of that auction, we described this
piece as “satiny medium brown” and “superb,” going on to speculate that it “may
well be the finest known example.” The superlative quality drew the eye of a
similarly astute collector by the name of Donald G. Partrick, who would own the
piece until the sale of his assemblage by Heritage in January of 2015. With its
high quality and the prestige associated with two such numismatic titans, this
wonderful piece is sure to attract the most discerning early American coin
enthusiasts.
The
dark cocoa patina of this lovely Choice Mint State example is accented by warm
caramel tones in select areas. Soft mint luster can be seen, gently blanketing
essentially all regions across both sides. The centers have been more gently
impressed, revealing sections of raw planchet, though the surfaces are
otherwise smooth and well-composed. A late die state has resulted in a few
notions of pitting around the bow on the obverse and also a crack at the lower
right border on the reverse, but the motifs are otherwise unaffected by this
aged pairing. This truly spectacular example likely represents the finest
survivor of the Ryder 4-D dies.
This
top condition Massachusetts cent will be showcased in our official auction of
the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Baltimore Expo, as part of our Early
American Coins session, presented in cooperation with the Colonial Coin
Collectors Club. To obtain your copy of
the catalog or to consign your rarities to a future showcase event, please
contact our offices today at 1-800-458-4646 to speak with a Consignment
Director and see what Stack’s Bowers Galleries can do for you.
