Series: (None)
Survival Estimate | |
---|---|
All Grades | 1 |
60 or Better | 1 |
65 or Better |
Numismatic Rarity | |
---|---|
All Grades | R-10.0 |
60 or Better | R-10.0 |
65 or Better | R-10.1 |
Relative Rarity By Type All Specs in this Type | |
---|---|
All Grades | 1 / 1 |
60 or Better | 1 / 1 |
65 or Better | 1 / 1 |
Relative Rarity By Series All Specs in this Series | |
---|---|
All Grades | N/A |
60 or Better | N/A |
65 or Better | N/A |
#1 PCGS SP63BM |
One of the most unusual and enigmatic Seated Liberty coins -- of any denomination -- is the Specimen strike 1839-O Dime. This remarkable coin is believed to be unique. The reason for its manufacture is unknown, and it may have been just a one-off coin made for an unknown presentation event or simply a playful experiment at the New Orleans Mint.
This piece is of the Fortin-106 variety, made from dies also used to strike coins for circulation. However, the overall "look" and appearance of this Specimen 1839-O Dime is unlike any other of the date. The strike is exceptionally strong and the fields are highly reflective, as one might expect on a Proof coin, however, the fields also show some light die striations that would not appear on a normal Proof. To accomodate this difference, and to recognize the special nature of this coin, both PCGS and NGC have recognized it as a "Specimen."
In recent decades, this piece has appeared at auction twice: once in 2008 and again in 2012, both times in a Heritage auction. Most likely, this piece is the former F.C.C. Boyd example, sold by Abe Kosoff in 1945 as part of the "World's Greatest Collection." Breen mentions cites the Boyd piece in his encyclopedia of Proof coins (1977), but he never saw the coin.