Sunset pastel hues bathe the immaculate surfaces of this delightful gem. Rich apricot intermingles with powder blue on the obverse, while the reverse displays more subtle coral, azure and champagne. The luster is satiny and undisturbed across Libertys portrait. A crack descends down through the top of Libertys head from the border at 12:00, joined by a break at about 3:00 that strings the final three stars at right, defining this as a nearly terminal die state. The reverse harbors more subtle fractures; a quartet of minor breaks is apparent at the first S and E of STATES and atop the first A and I of AMERICA. The reverse dentils are a bit more abbreviated.The Fortin-106 dies first struck Proof examples of the 1839 issue, including the incredible Lovejoy-Kaufman specimen, only to be later repurposed for circulation coinage. Five distinct states have been identified for this marriage, of which Fortin-106c is the latest and second most common. However, this matters little, as this coin ranks among the finest survivors of the issue irrespective of variety.
