1806  C-1  R1  MS63.  Small 6 with Stemless Wreath.   The near-perfection of this coin’s strike is accentuated by the frosty red-brown surfaces.  Much light mint red remains to provide unmistakable cartwheel luster of exceptional beauty.  Here is a coin placing extremely high in any Condition Census for this important date.  NGC graded MS64RB (#242240-001, population for all of the date 10/1).  A few light handling marks.  A small area of toning on the reverse at right rear.  MDS, Manley state 1.0, with the reverse rotated 25 degrees CCW.  Ex Stack’s 1/17/06:1764-Michael Spurlock.

 M&G assessment:  Concur.  Great eye appeal.  Lustrous faded mint red and light tan with a darker dusting of carbon at D-S.  Clearly one of the finest seen.

 

 1806  C-2  R4  AU50.  Small 6 with Stems.   Lightly cleaned long ago, now nicely retoned glossy medium brown and chocolate with delicate overtones of bluish steel on the reverse.  A tiny rim nick at TA in STATES.  There is a small planchet flake at the dentils left of the date and shallow low spots below CEN, under RI, and at the upper edge of the fraction bar, all as struck.  MDS, Manley state 2.0, with fine die lapping lines down slightly to the left of vertical covering the reverse fields.  Sharply struck and very attractive.  In the lower half of the condition census.  Removed from a PCGS slab graded AU50BN (#22038328, population 3/5).  Ex Lester Bernstein, Stack’s 4/30/86:37-Dr. Wallace Lee, M&G Auctions/Superior 5/25/03:239-Chris McCawley 6/23/05-Michael Spurlock.

 M&G assessment:  Concur.

 

 1806  C-3  R6  VG8.  Small 6 with Stems.   Very slightly sharper with a half dozen small pinprick nicks inside the wreath.  Otherwise the surfaces are smooth and very nice for the grade.  Glossy chocolate with slightly lighter steel brown toning on the devices.  The date and legends are strong.  Way above average for this rare variety, which nearly always comes crummy.  MDS, Manley state 2.0.  Removed from an ANACS slab graded F12 details, damaged.  The attribution is noted on the ANACS label, which is included.

 M&G assessment:  Concur.

 

 1806  C-4  R1  MS63+.  Large 6 with Stems.   Glowing mint red color that is toning on the highpoints.  There is a very light nick below Liberty’s eye.  There are three very small and light toning spots on the obverse at 3:00, 6:30, and 9:00.  The obverse dentilation is light or missing from 11:00 to 3:00.  The drapery is weak as normal for this die state.  The upper left leaves and STATES are weakly struck on the reverse.  There is a very small hairline below the O in OF.  The mint red is toning more on the upper reverse than on the lower reverse.  Probably a survivor of the Chapman Hoard discovered in 1906.  MDS, Manley state 2.0, the reverse rotated 45 degrees CW.  Removed from an NGC slab graded MS64RB (#1288614-001, population 1/0) and from a PCGS slab graded MS63RB (#22054745, population 15/2).  This coin tied for third place behind the Tettenhorst and Jim McGuigan examples in the 2006 EAC Half Cent Happening.  Ex David Lawrence Rare Coins-Chris McCawley-6/23/05-Michael Spurlock.

 M&G assessment:  Concur.   Frosty mint color covers 25% of the obverse, 20% of the reverse.  Repunching on the 6 remains clear.  An attractive example, most likely from the Chapman Hoard as the die state is typical of ones from that group.

 

 1807  C-1  R1  AU55.   Choice glossy steel brown and chocolate with lots of frosty golden tan in protected areas and a couple tiny hints of very faded mint red on both sides.  There is a small vertical nick low on the neck and a small rim nick at ED in UNITED.  LDS, Manley state 3.0.  The reverse is rotated 5 degrees CW.  Excellent eye appeal.  Removed from a PCGS slab graded MS62BN (#40059674, population 8/4).  This coin finished 6th at the 2007 EAC Half Cent Happening, but it was the best LDS example displayed at that event as the ones ahead of it were all die state 2.0.  Ex 2004 EAC Sale, lot 48-unknown-Heritage 5/4/05:5059 (where Michael Spurlock outbid Jim McGuigan for the coin).

 M&G assessment:  Concur.

 

 1808  C-2  R3  VF30.  Overdate 8 over 7.   Choice color for the variety.  A small dig below the Y in LIBERTY.  Normal contact marks for the grade.  A very smooth and clean planchet for this tough variety.  Removed from a PCGS slab graded VF35BN (#1471059, population 2/4).  EDS, Manley state 1.0.  Ex Carolina Coin Co. 10/73-Jim McGuigan (in his personal collection for 30 years) 12/5/03-Ed Fuhrman 2/28/06-Michael Spurlock.

 M&G assessment:  Concur.  Frosty chocolate and dark steel brown.  No defects.