Lot 1063
1873 Open 3 Mint Error Curves Clip At 6:30. NGC graded Proof 61 Brown. Only 500 struck. Natural brown color with faded red throughout. The 1873 Open 3 is probably a restrike, the dies having been made after the denomination was terminated in April 1873. Since only one obverse die was mentioned as being destroyed in the January 2, 1874 (pursuant to a letter of that date), it is possible that this Open 3 was not made until well into 1874. As a restrike, these pieces would not have been included in the listed Proof mintage of 600 pieces (all of which were Closed 3 pieces distributed with the sets before April 1, 1873). The old figure of 500 1873 Open 3 coins one sometimes comes across results from the known mintage of new-style 1873 Proof sets (with the arrows coins and the Trade Dollar). However it is definitely known that these sets did not contain a Two-cent Piece of any type, so the 500 mintage figure for the Open 3 is pure speculation. Based on frequency of appearance, some have suggested that it is likely the original mintage of this variety might have been closer to 75 pieces!
Estimated Value $2,000 - 2,200.
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| Realized $2,645 |
