Fred Borcherdts ANA Sale

FRED BORCHERDT’S HALL OF FAME COLLECTION 1793-1814 CENTS

SHELDON PLATE COIN FOR S-178

LOT 227 1798 S-178 R5+ Style II Hair, Reverse of 1796 VF30 . Very attractive glossy chocolate brown and light olive with lighter brown toning in protected areas on the reverse. This cent has great eye appeal, especially for a variety that usually comes with serious problems. Lightly worn with no hint of corrosion or verdigris and only a few small contact marks. The notable ones are a trio of small nicks in a line up from the top of the hair ribbon and a dull vertical nick hidden in the die rust off the chin. The reverse is essentially flawless. LDS, Breen state IV. A pair of strong die cracks extend through the date and the fields on the obverse are rough from heavy die rust. A clear die crack arcs from the second T in STATES to the first A in AMERICA. Dr. Philip Ralls, a previous owner of this cent, considered this piece to be the choicest S-178 known. We have examined the four finest known examples, and we agree. The obverse is plated in Dr. Sheldon’s Early American Cents and Penny Whimsy. Called VF25 and CC#2 in the Bland census. Noyes says EF40 net VF25 (reason for the deduction unknown) and CC#1, his photo #23263. This cent isn’t the rarest variety in the collection, but it is a highlight based on it’s exceptional quality. And it comes with a very impressive provenance, as you would expect. Ex a Philadelphia collector, Henry Chapman 3/1930:128-Henry C. Hines-Dr. William H. Sheldon-traded by Sheldon into the Anderson DuPont collection Stack’s (Anderson DuPont Sale) 9/25/1954:253-Abe Kosoff-R. E. “Ted” Naftzger, Jr., New Netherlands Coin Co. 11/14/1973:493-John W. Adams-Denis W. Loring 3/13/1978-C. Douglas Smith 4/1992-Eric J. Streiner 4/1992-Dr. Philip W. Ralls, McCawley & Grellman Auctions/Goldbergs 1/26/2014:570-Fred H. Borcherdt Collection (includes the Doug Smith collection envelope and lot envelopes from the DuPont and Naftzger sales)

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