NNP

1842 First Restrike Proof Breen 1-B R6+. PCGS graded Proof 66+ Brown. CAC. Reverse of 1856. Double Struck. Beautiful bluish steel brown and iridescent rose with underlying faded red on both sides. The fields are highly reflective with deep mirrors on both sides. A gem example except for a carbon spot at the top of the outer hair bun and a speck of carbon at the left top of the first T in STATES. Double struck, the second impression rotated 5-10 degrees CCW from the first. Stars 6-13 have shadow stars between them in the fields, and clear evidence of the undertype can be seen on the chin, in the field below, on the nose tip, and over the tip of the coronet. There is some weaker undertype visible on the reverse as well, strongest at the leaves under RIC. This is not your usual chatter strike or machine doubling often seen on early proofs; this is a real double strike. An attractive example of a rare variety, probably unique as a double struck mint error. Our grade is Proof-63+. Weight 77.5 grains, most likely from Breen's Series III, similar to the preceding lot. There is a knife rim from star 3 to star 10 and on the upper two-thirds of the reverse. The attribution and Missouri Cabinet provenance are shown on the PCGS label. PCGS population 1; the finest in BN. (PCGS # 35354) Estimate Value $8,500 - UP Ex Lester Merkin Coins, Inc., 3/15/1967:133 ($480.00)-Worrell Family Collection, Superior Galleries (a division of Superior Stamp and Coin Company, Inc.) 5/30/1989:5006 (where the double strike was not mentioned)-John Richard "J. R." Frankenfield, McCawley & Grellman Auctions/Superior Galleries (a Stanford Financial Portfolio Company) 2/17/2001:160 ($8,625)-Chris Victor-McCawley Fixed Price List 12/8/2001-R. Tettenhorst-Missouri Cabinet (Mocab 42.2.4).

Price Realized: $20700

Images and description courtesy of Ira and Larry Goldberg Coins and Collectibles, Los Angeles, CA.

From Goldberg's sale of the Missouri Cabinet Collection, 1/26/2014, lot 161.