Torres Half Cent Collection

LOT 31 1797 C-3b R4 Low Head, Lettered Edge, F12 PCGS. Choice glossy medium brown and light chocolate. The planchet is smooth with the exception of minor roughness around the 7, and this piece has excellent eye appeal. Just minor contact marks including a couple nicks and shallow scuff marks under the L in LIBERTY, a nick on the lower edge of the cap, and a thin nick at the F in HALF. EDS, Manley state 1.0, Fuhrman state 1, before the “wart” break from the chin. Struck on a planchet cut from an off-center large cent. MER from AMERICA on the large cent remains clearly visible on the neck into the last digit of the date, and traces of large cent dentils show at the F in OF. The strike is uneven thanks to the undertype, and the upper right of the reverse is relatively soft (as usual on this die pair). The edge lettering is clear, although some of the letters hang off the planchet because they were a bit too tall for the planchet (as always). A nice example of the popular Lettered Edge version of the variety with obvious undertype from the repurposed spoiled large cent. Our grade is F12. Comes with a very nice provenance. Weight 82.9 grains. 1033.12/80821699 $16,500 Ex David Proskey-David O. Hughes (privately)-Lee G. Lahrman, Abe Kosoff 2/1/1963:55-Gilbert Steinberg Sale, Superior 9/16/1996:1496-Ray Rouse-Russ Butcher-Chris McCawley 6/2/2018-The J. Torres Collection of Half Cents

LOT 32

1797 C-3b LETTERED EDGE PCGS VF30. Sharply struck obverse and reverse. The planchet is a hard, smooth light chocolate brown. There is a dull scratch in the field left of Liberty’s cap. A similar mark is in the obverse field K3. Earlier die state prior to the “goatee” Our grade VF30 net VF25. $22,000

The J. Torres Collection of Half Cents

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