“Superb, sharp, even impression. ... Extremely rare.” — S.H. and Henry Chapman, 1890 A dramatic early Proof, the only Proof striking of this date certified by PCGS. Profoundly reflective on obverse and reverse, this dime shows devices that stand off from the fields in squared relief and sharp contrast to their mirrored background. The toning is thick and bespeaks originality, covering the obverse in shades of pewter gray, olive, pale blue and amber gold. The reverse also displays beautiful color, with deep maize gold inside the rims wrapped around mostly pale blue at the center. The denticles are struck up to the full extent of their rounded relief everywhere but the northeast quadrant of the reverse. A wire rim surrounds most of both sides. The peripheral details of legends and stars are all definitively sharp, as are most central details. An area of substantial softness is seen in the curls between Liberty’s ear and drapery, with weakness in the opposite area on the reverse manifesting in the upper right corner of the shield, the back of the eagle’s neck, and the top of the wing at right. The Gardner specimen shows similar weakness, perhaps slightly better detailed in the region but only marginally so. The fine die polish lines are still visible in the fields, vertically oriented on the obverse, chiefly horizontal on the reverse. A thin vertical scratch is noted atop the shield, above the fourth gules stripe, and a single contact point is present at the shield’s highest point. A depression at the center of star 1 appears to be mint-made, struck through foreign matter. There may be as few as two genuine Proof 1825 dimes. The Gene Gardner coin, sold as an NGC Proof-67, is the George H. Earle, Jr. - Hillyer Ryder - F.C.C. Boyd - NN50 - Pittman:555 coin. It is an inarguable Proof and one with a fine provenance. The third Proof mentioned by David Akers in the Pittman sale was the Bareford coin, which has not been certified as Proof by either service at any point over the last 30 years. While not every rare coin has been certified, the facts suggest that the bidders at Bareford did not consider the coin an unquestioned Proof. The Bareford Proof 1825 dime brought $4,800, in line with Brilliant Uncirculated 1829 dimes that realized $4,600 and $5,250. Bareford’s Proof 1824/2 dime brought $16,000, and his 1827 Proof sold for $29,000, a vast differential that summarizes the feelings of the gathered bidders. While others have been certified as Proof by NGC, including the example sold as NGC Proof-63 in the April 2009 Heritage sale and the Proof-65 (NGC) example sold in the August 1999 Bowers and Merena sale, PCGS has certified only one example: this one. The piece sold in the October 1990 Stack’s sale as lot 1624, from the L.A. Type Set, is not a plate match to any of the previously cited specimens and could be either a true Proof that remains uncertified or, more likely, a prooflike circulation strike. This date was missing from the exceptional run of Proof early dimes in the Floyd Starr Collection. The earliest acknowledged Proofs of this type are dated 1821, of which PCGS has certified just two. There are either two or three known 1822 Proof dimes. These populations leave this as one of the half dozen or so earliest attempts to create a dime in Proof finish at the United States Mint. In a series full of great rarities, where no Proof issue can be considered even remotely common, this stands out as an outstanding prize. PCGS# 4543. NGC ID: 27CZ.
