Lot 1032
1845-O $10 Liberty. NGC graded AU-50. Well struck by lapped dies and with some luster in the fields. During the coining process, the planchet feeding mechanism sometimes jams, in which case the dies clash together without a planchet between them. As more and more coins are struck, dies often clash together several times, imparting some of their respective designs on the opposing die. The fields of the dies start to show wear also, sometimes die cracks appear from the intense strain of pounding metal on metal. When dies become clashed, cracked or worn, they are often removed, carefully ground down with files and repolished. This process extends the useful life of the dies, but also reduces the depth of the devices, as the fields are literally lowered, and the relief becomes more shallow. Parts of the original devices may be entirely ground away in this process, one of the more famous is the "three legged buffalo" nickel of 1937.
On this particular coin, the obverse die was lapped, disconnecting Liberty's hair curls down the back of her neck, so they now appear as lumps. Similarly, her hair beads are smaller and no longer connected. The surfaces show moderate handling marks, as always seen on circulated gold. This coin shows the double cut 84 in the date, noted as "rare" in Breen's wonderful Encyclopedia.
Estimated Value $1,400 - 1,800.
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| Realized $1,323 |
