1841 Braided Hair Half Cent. Original. B-1. Rarity-5-. Large Berries. Proof-64 BN (PCGS). Choice deep chocolate-brown with pleasing mint color highlighting the obverse periphery, particularly at the base of the obverse, and more generously but not as brightly around the reverse devices and legends. Very nice surface quality with only a thin old scratch under star 7 to note, no serious spotting or hairlines and only some light scattered contact marks here or there. Die crack through stars 3 to 7, full but subtle, Breens state III.Half cent production for circulation came to a halt in 1835, and from that point until 1849, all half cents produced in the intervening years were Proofs. The Braided Hair Proofs of 1840 to 1849 inclusive are scarce to rare, and are found in both "original" and "restrike" categories; these designations rely on the size of the berries in the reverse wreath. The present 1841 Proof half cent stands tall against all challengers in the PCGS BN category. PCGS# 1254. NGC ID: 26Z6. PCGS Population: 10; 6 finer in this category (Proof-67 BN finest). From our (American Numismatic Rarities) Red Bank Collection sale, December 2003, lot 378.
