Lot 1343
1940. NGC graded Proof 68. A Superb Gem white coin. Fully original and extraordinarily clean with gleaming, mirror-deep fields plus all-brilliant devices. Basically silvery without a hint of color. Struck with technical exactness throughout as well. We note a break in the bridge of Liberty's nose, which is often seen on the Proofs due to difficulties in polishing the Mercury dime dies. Post-1916 silver coins had uneven "basining" due to their modernistic designs. The mint found it troublesome to create the same mirror finish (and frosted relief) that Proofs had in the era of Barber coins. Excessive polishing of the Proof dies on Mercury dimes, and further repolishing during production, caused parts of the design on both sides to vanish, such as the thin stems on the leaves of the intertwined olive sprig on the reverse. Often, some of the leaves disappear entirely! Pop 35; 6 finer, 5 in 68 Star, 1 in 69.
Estimated Value $2,900 - 3,000.
|
| |
| Unsold |
