While a sibling of the Valentine-11 offered in the previous lot, calling this gem a duplicate fails to convey its distinctive merits. Struck from an earlier die state than the Duffy:1595 or Newman:33060 coins, the peripheral elements display handsome sharpness, most apparent on the obverse. The diagnostic repunching of stars 7, 8 and 11 is obvious in this state, as is the retouching of stars 2 and 5 that on later strikings becomes obscured by fatigue. A swath of polishing lines hugs the denticles at right; these too are lapped away in later states. Delicate citrus and blue iridescence are quite lovely under illumination. Light reflectivity can be seen in the fields on the obverse, although the overall luster is largely satiny.This piece is a testament to Oliver Jungs emphasis on originality and eye appeal when building his legendary type set. Last offered at public auction in our July 2004 sale of the Jung Collection, we are proud to present this exemplary connoisseurs coin as part of the D. Brent Pogue Collection, Part V.
