Ex Floyd Farley and Stewart P. Witham. Stew Witham was BHNC member #1. In the words of his astute clubmate Elton Dosier, “Stew had more true uncirculated bust halves than anyone else.” When it came to the `27-137, a hallowed rarity, the best he could find after decades of searching was this sweet but humble VF 30. The coin came to him from BHNC co-founder, Floyd Farley. The die pair was unknown to Al Overton when he published the 1st edition of his standard reference in 1967. In a single week in December 1968 Farley identified not one but two examples of a new marriage. He promptly labeled them 1827 FF.1 and shipped this “lower grade” coin to his friend and mentor, Stewart Witham. It rested there until Heritage offered selections from the Witham collection in August 2010. It sold for $10,063. It reappeared at Heritage’s Central States auction in April 2018 where it sold for $11,100. As we approach the 60th anniversary of Farley’s miracle week, the number of known pieces hovers around 23. The `27-137 is often lumped with the 1817 O.104, 1823 O.113, 1827 O.148 and 1831 O.120 when the discussion turns to top-end rarities in the capped bust half series. Problem-free VF examples routinely bring 6-figure prices. The Farley-Witham coin is remarkable on another count: the surfaces are nearly mark-free, nicer than many coins graded XF or AU. Natural beige toning attests to its originality. In all, a wonderful coin with an impressive provenance. Estimate: $10,000 to $15,000.
Auction Ended
High Bid
Maximum Bid
Total Price
$9,200
Reserve met
$10,900
$10,120
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Sheridan Downey, Numismatist 4400 Keller Ave.,
Suite 140, PMB 398 Oakland, California 94605 sdowney3@aol.com (510) 479-1585
