Oh my! A pristine specimen from a collection put together in the 1940s and 1950s. The numismatic world converged when David Akers sold the Pittman Collection in Baltimore, May 20-21, 1998, two years after Pittman died. This was lot 1487 in that sale, offered raw (as were all coins in the sale) and simply graded, “Uncirculated.” My notes on the coin, written in the margin of my catalog, were equally concise: grey dirt, original 63. Pittman bought the coin in October 1945 at a sale conducted by George Bauer, Sale XVI, lot 538. It cost him $2.50. Pittman had a complete set of the proof 1833-34-35 Crushed Lettered Edge halves. I bought them all, a highlight of my career in numismatics. This 1827 O.104 slipped by at $935. It reappeared the next year in Heritage’s August 1999 ANA Sale, lot 7046, encapsulated by NGC as MS 63, part of the “Litrenta Collection.” Jason Carter purchased it, either at the sale or soon thereafter. He sold it to Dr. Tom Sears in September 2002. Sears crossed it to its current PCGS holder and held the coin until Dr. Link made an offer he could not refuse during the 2018 ANA Convention in Philadelphia. The Pittman provenance is noted on the PCGS label. The referenced NGC label accompanies the lot. As I sometimes say … a coin for the connoisseur. (CAC sticker added after photo taken.)
Estimate: $2,000 to $2,500
Auction Ended
High Bid
Maximum Bid
Total Price
$2,345
Reserve met
$2,345
$2,580
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Sheridan Downey, Numismatist 4400 Keller Ave.,
Suite 140, PMB 398 Oakland, California 94605 sdowney3@aol.com (510) 479-1585