1858 1C Large Letters PR(PCGS#2042)

The June 2011 Baltimore Auction

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

326

Grade

PR64

Price

9,200

Lot Description

1858 Flying Eagle Cent. Large Letters. Snow-PR1, the only known dies. Proof-64 (NGC). Far, far rarer than the proof 1856 Flying Eagle cent that seems to garner all of the attention from more casual collectors, specialists recognize that the proof strikings of the 1858 Flying Eagle cent are&nbsp;encountered much less often in today's market. Writing in the 2001 book <em>The Flying Eagle & Indian Cent Attribution Guide, 2nd Edition: 1856-1858</em>, Rick Snow estimates that only 100 examples of the proof 1858 Large Letters were produced. (By way of comparison, the author's estimate for the number of proof 1856 Flying Eagle cents produced is on the order of 1,000-1,500 coins.) One of perhaps just 50 pieces traceable in numismatic circles, this piece not only matches the diagnostics of the Snow-PR1 die pair, but it is also unmistakeable as a proof due to the exactness of strike for the devices and the appreciable reflectivity in the fields. Bathed in a blend of reddish-apricot, pale-tan and even powder-blue colors, the surfaces are silent on the subject of distracting blemishes.