Two are better than one. — Ecclesiastes 4:9Bright powder blue peripheral toning is present on both obverse and reverse, the obverse center chiefly brilliant with a blend of deeper silver gray and faint rose, while the reverse is a warmer combination of rose and gold. Both sides are thoroughly lustrous, showing strong cartwheels, and soundly struck, with fine details from center to rim. Some light abrasions are noted on Libertys cheek, and some light milky encrustation is hidden among the reverse legend and denticles at MERICA. An important specimen of this die variety, struck from the perfect state of the dies.Tied with the above example on the roster of known specimens from these dies, this example features a different look from the previous piece. We can imagine a roundtable of savvy numismatic connoisseurs divided over which one they prefer, perhaps even split down the middle. Such differences of opinion embody the difficulty in precisely ranking specimens into a Condition Census. In some cases, such ordering is clear cut, and the finest known is 20 points superior to the second finest known, which is 20 points better than the next. Such examples are rare, however, particularly among issues from which several Mint State examples have survived. With this in mind, the D. Brent Pogue Collection has been formed patiently, selecting coins that not only merit their technical grade assessments but are also attractive. In some instances, when a favorite simply could not be chosen, two examples were included in the collection.