NNP

1802 1C S-234, B-14, R.3, MS64 Brown PCGS. Our EAC Grade MS60+. Lustrous medium brown surfaces with swirls of dark steel toning on the obverse. The reverse is lighter brown with considerable faded mint red and faint traces of bluish toning. A faint vertical die crack in the left obverse field is the only imperfection on either side of this beautiful cent. The reverse is rotated about 30 degrees clockwise. Variety: Curl point below upright of B. Leaf point below upright of D, nine berries. The obverse appears on S-234. The reverse appears on S-234, S-235, and S-236. Breen Die State IV, a jumbled mess of die cracks, clash marks, and rim breaks are visible through LIBERTY and at the bottom of the reverse. Population Data (3/15): This is the sole Mint State example that PCGS has certified as S-234. For the 1802 date, PCGS shows only two Brown coins finer, both MS65. Heritage Commentary: Del Bland and Bill Noyes agree that this piece is tied for the second finest in the Condition Census. Provenance: Swiss Coin Fair (Switzerland, 10/1976); Michael Graham; Allen Harriman; Auction '81, (Superior), lot 52; C. Douglas Smith; Herman Halpern (Stack's, 3/1988), lot 211; Andrew Hain (Stack's, 1/2002), lot 748; Chris Victor-McCawley; Walter Husak (Heritage, 2/2008), lot 2237.