Fred 2 Book

 EQUAL FINEST N-17

LOT 519 1850 N-17 R5 PCGS graded MS64+ Brown, CAC Approved. Lustrous tan and light steel brown with traces of mint red in protected areas on both sides. Sharply struck with great eye appeal and trivial marks. A microscopic speck of fine carbon nestled between star 9 and the bun and a tiny splash of darker toning at the right top of the first T in STATES are the best identifying marks, and they are insignificant. Sharply struck EDS, die state a, with sharp die lines on both sides. Our grade is MS62+, very close to MS63. Technically tied for CC#1 honors with one other piece, but this one has the better eye appeal. The attribution and Twin Leaf Collection provenance are noted on the PCGS label. 405898.64+/31543990 Ex Bowers & Ruddy 1/14/1981:138-Dr. Philip W. Ralls 4/1989-J. R. Frankenfield, McCawley & Grellman Auctions/Superior 2/17/2001:1588-unknown-McCawley & Grellman Auctions/Superior 6/2002:2499-W. M. “Jack” Wadlington (The Twin Leaf Collection), Stack’s Bowers 7/16/2015:2545-Fred H. Borcherdt Collection

LOT 521 1850 N-19/16 R1 MS60. A sharp, essentially flawless cent that is covered with a thin coat of lacquer or some similar substance. Lustrous medium brown and light olive with underlying very faded mint color in some of the protected areas. Sharply struck EDS, die state a, with sharp die lines on both sides. There are some low spots inside the wreath (caused by lubricant on the die). This cent has superb eye appeal, but the technical grade suffers from the coating (which should be removed). Our assigned grade of MS60 should jump dramatically if the coating is properly removed.

LOT 520 1850 N-18 R4 AU55. Lustrous light to medium brown. Sharp with solid mint state eye appeal, but a glass reveals a light touch of rub on the highest points of the devices. The only marks are a thin diagonal nick under star 10, a tiny planchet flake right of star 6 (as struck), and a spot of reddish toning on the right side of the E in ONE. Sharp EDS, die state a, the earliest seen, with fine die polishing lines covering very slightly reflective fields. The die lines at the dentils over star 7 are sharp. Tied for CC#10 for the variety but CC#4 of the die state in the Grellman census. Comes with a nice provenance.

Ex George Ramont (via Jules Reiver) 5/1983-R. E. “Ted” Naftzger, Jr. (via William C. Noyes)-Fred H. Borcherdt Collection (includes the Ramont/Naftzger collection envelope)

Ex Alan Meghrig (via William C. Noyes & Douglas F. Bird) 4/21/1994-Wesley A. Rasmussen, 1995 EAC Sale, lot 454 R. S. “Robbie” Brown, Jr., McCawley & Grellman Auctions/ Superior 6/2/2002:829-Daniel W. Holmes, Jr., McCawley & Grellman Auctions/Goldbergs 1/30/2011:411-Fred H. Borcherdt Collection (includes the Holmes collection envelope)

13 Photos of all lots can be found at www.earlycentsauctions.com