Lot Number 1
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1807 Bearded Goddess - O.111b R.5 PCGS XF 45 CAC
Soft luster throughout, more pronounced through the stars, legend and around the devices. The coin is lightly toned. Wear and minor circulation ticks befit the assigned grade. In all, a paradigm XF 45. This is a REAL Bearded Goddess. The central die break extends from the drapery through Liberty’s chin, cheek, eye, curls, headband and – most important – into the cap. Too many encapsulated examples of this die pair are labeled Bearded Goddess where the die break falls short of the cap. They are properly attributed as O.111a, a somewhat more common and less desirable die state. (A recent example is the PCGS XF 40 CAC example offered in Heritage’s Jan. 21, 2021 Sale, lot 3580, where the die break, though heavy from chin to bust, failed to reach the headband.) Provenance of this important coin is traced to Dr. Charles Link who uncovered it in a dealer’s case in 2011. It later passed to his BHNC colleague and friend James Ross. (Both Dr. Link and Mr. Ross enjoy ownership of 1817/4 half-dollars!) Our consignor acquired the coin by private treaty in 2015. This appears to be its first appearance at auction. It received a CAC sticker in Nov. 2020, after it was photographed. Estimate: $10,000 to $15,000.
