1797 C-1 R2 AU58. 1 above 1 in Date. Lustrous dark steel brown and chocolate with lighter reddish steel brown faded from mint color in protected areas. The surfaces are highly lustrous and free of defects, just a hint of friction on the highest points from state 5.0. The obverse die is extensively cracked. Nicely struck everywhere except RTY and ICA, which are always weak in the late state. The date and 1 above 1 feature are bold. A very attractive example. Removed from a PCGS slab graded AU58 (the PCGS label is included, and it shows the Hesselgesser provenance). Weight 91.0 grains. Ex Enoch Blackwell-Ed Hipps, Jr.-M&G Auctions/Superior 5/25/03:120-Dr. Hesselgesser, M&G Auctions/Goldberg’s 2/11/07:154 (via Chris McCawley)-Michael Spurlock.
M&G assessment: AU55. A beautiful, frosty example.
1797 C-2 R3 EF45. Choice. One of the finest known. The “Centered Head” with broad milled borders. The most aesthetically pleasing variety of the year. Superb russet-mauve toning. A beautiful specimen. Manley state 1.0. Weight 81.8 grains. Ex Ellis Robison, Stack’s 2/10/82:316-Jon Hanson (via Stu Levine)-Chris McCawley 6/8/01-Russ Butcher (via Chris McCawley) 3/17/06-Michael Spurlock.
M&G assessment: Concur. AU50 net EF45 for very attractive recoloring. Lightly cleaned and retoned glossy chocolate and olive brown with lighter medium brown toning in protected areas of the reverse. Great eye appeal.
1797 C-3a R3 VF25. Low Head with Plain Edge. Struck over Spoiled Large Cent. Slightly sharper with traces of microscopic roughness on the lower half of the obverse and specks of verdigris at Y in LIBERTY, under E in CENT, and under CA in AMERICA. There are a few faint hairline scratches inside the wreath, but overall the surfaces and eye appeal are very nice for the grade. EDS, Manley state 1.0. There is an undertype arc of large cent dentils from the rim at TE in STATES down to the N in CENT, and traces of possible undertype at the dentils over TA in STATES. Weight 78.8 grains. Ex Chuck Furjanic-Dr. Wallace Lee, M&G Auctions/Superior 5/25/03:102-Bill Weber-Russ Butcher 1/4/07-Michael Spurlock.
M&G assessment: Concur.
1797 C-3b R4 F15. Low Head with Lettered Edge. Struck over Spoiled Large Cent. Although the surfaces are lightly abraded, this is a splendid example with lovely chocolate brown color. Some weakness is visible along the bust of Liberty and on the reverse through the top of the right branch and the right side of HALF CENT. Struck over a spoiled large cent with an arc of dentils on the obverse from K-4 to K-8. The bust tip from Ms Liberty of the large cent shows in the field over the end of the pole. Removed from an NGC slab graded VF35 (#656372-011) with a population 1/0. Only 5 total graded by PCGS/NGC. Manley state 2.0. Weight 92.6 grains. Ex Richard Shimkus-Jim McGuigan 6/16/84-Jules Reiver, Heritage 1/24/06:19031-Michael Spurlock.
M&G assessment: VF25+ net VF20+. Glossy dark chocolate and steel brown. There are some tiny nicks scattered about, none significant but too many to ignore. A barely visible planchet clip is left of the top of the cap.
1800 C-1 R2 MS63. A frosty mint red coin with darker toning on most of the higher surfaces and devices. The central area of the hair is softly struck. The obverse has a few very, very faint hairlines which require a glass to see. The reverse is sharply struck except for OF. There are three very light toning spots on the reverse and a very light hairline above the L in HALF. A very beautiful mint red survivor. Manley state 4.0. Weight 84.9 grains. Removed from a PCGS slab graded MS63RB. Ex Harry Laibstain/Jim McGuigan 2/8/07-Michael Spurlock.
M&G assessment: Concur. Mint red toning to steel brown, 45% of the mint color remaining on the obverse, 65% on the reverse.
1802/0 C-1 R6 F15. Overdate 2 over 0. Reverse of 1800. Third or fourth finest known. Dark steel brown surfaces with lighter color on the devices. The surfaces are covered with microscopic granularity. It is well centered with partial obverse and reverse border dentilation around most of the obverse except from 2:00 to 4:00, and at the top of the reverse. A few small marks are present in the fields near Liberty’s chin and above HALF on the reverse. The right obverse and reverse borders have noticeable surface disturbance. Still, all in all, this is a highly presentable example. Manley state 1.0. Weight 75.6 grains. Jules Reiver recorded this coin in his notes as the Gilbert Plate Coin (Plate II, Reverse Coin #2 for 1802) and the discovery coin for the variety, although both claims are unverified and doubtful. The reverse is plated in the Breen Half Cent Encyclopedia (Page 204) but the obverse plate is from a different coin. Also illustrated in the last 3 editions of Wayte Raymond’s Standard Catalog. It is the Manley Plate Coin for his die state 1.0 (page 89). Comes with a note from Hillyer Ryder inside his collection envelope plus a Bareford note on the back part of another 2x2 envelope. Ex W. B. Guy, Henry Chapman 11/3/1911:915 (at $12.50)-Hillyer Ryder, New Netherlands Coin Co. 6/23/54:282-Harold Bareford-William Bareford 5/25/84-Jules Reiver, Heritage 1/24/06:19034-Chris McCawley/Jim McGuigan/Tony Terranova 1/24/06-Michael Spurlock.
M&G assessment: VF20 net F12+. Dark with very fine granularity and microscopic hairline scratches in the field behind the head.
1802/0 C-2 R3 VF25. Overdate 2 over 0. Reverse of 1802. Sharply struck with full obverse and reverse borders and especially strong central reverse details. One of the finest known. A small mark on the cheek has been carefully smoothed out. The fields have evidence of minor smoothing as well. Both sides have fine, microscopic granularity. A small mark below I in LIBERTY and a couple abrasions inside the upper part of the wreath all serve as pedigree markers. There is a small rim nick over L in LIBERTY. A wonderful quality for the variety. Removed from an NCS slab graded AU details repaired (#5070809-071). This is the Breen plate coin for his die state II and it is the plate coin for Manley’s state 1.0. Weight 84.9 grains. Ex Edward Miller, William Hesslein 4/1916:508-Hillyer Ryder, New Netherlands Coin Co. 6/54:283-Harold Bareford-William Bareford 5/25/84-Jules Reiver, Heritage 1/24/06:19035-Michael Spurlock.
M&G assessment: VF35 net VF25+. Nice eye appeal in spite of the microscopic roughness and smoothed mark on the cheek. Glossy dark steel brown.