UNITED STATES COPPER COINAGE
IN OUR OPINION THE FINEST 1796 HALF-CENT IN EXISTENCE
Half-Cent, 1796, with pole, superb gem red and brown, far superior to the specimen in our June sale with smooth overall even red on the obverse and a fully red reverse (NGC MS66RB)
Details
Half-Cent, 1796, with pole, superb gem red and brown, far superior to the specimen in our June sale with smooth overall even red on the obverse and a fully red reverse (NGC MS66RB)
Provenance
In early spring this year, a gentleman from Northern England contacted us about a small hoard of American coins and tokens. The highlights of his holdings were, by some margins, a superb Sheldon-92 Penny and two stunning 1796, with pole, Half-Cents. Clearly, by some chance, a miniature "Lord St. Oswald" hoard had turned up. Our offering in June included minty examples of a 1796 Dime, a Talbot, Allum and Lee Cent and a Liberty and Security Penny as well as the Penny and the lesser of the Halfpennies. Our consignor, having recovered from the results of the first offering, has now given us permission to offer the finest of his coins. Referring to this magnificent piece he recently wrote: "I must underline this my second and last one. Parting with it is regrettable but such is life"