I half traded half bought a nice 1800 from a Philadelphia collector named Van Roden who is going to sell out because he needs the money and wants to travel. - Dorothy Paschal, letter to Dr. Robert Carter, September 22, 1966The finest known example of this Sheldon number and the finest specimen of this date certified by PCGS, this gem cent mingles exceptional cartwheel luster with beautifully blended shades of gold, steel, light brown, and violet, while faded mint color echoes around devices. Passing luster amplifies the variegated toning and enlivens the natural frost underlying this coins glossy surfaces. Good detail is seen on both sides, including a crisp date, strong centers to each leaf in the wreath, a semi-circle of denticles around the base of the reverse, and tips of denticles around the obverse from 5:00 to near 12:00. No marks of consequence are seen on either side. This coins status as a gem is impossible to impugn.Die clashes are bold on both sides, showing the strongest impressions behind Libertys head, though other vestiges are seen in front of her profile, above her head, and outside the lower right portion of the wreath. A die crack through RICA of AMERICA is bold, placing this as Die State III in Breens sequence.Though not typically listed among the scarce dates in the series, the rarity of top grade 1800 cents surpasses that of dates with greater cachet. Just seven submissions among cents of this date have been given Mint State grades with the RB designation by PCGS; the PCGS Population Report lists more than four times as many 1794 cents with the RB designation. The recognition of this condition rarity undoubtedly spurred Dorothy Paschal into action in 1966, when she heard about the fine 1800 cent that Philadelphia collector William Van Roden had recently acquired from an old collection.Known as "Dr. Dorothy" to her fellow large cent enthusiasts, Paschal was Dr. William Sheldons companion, co-worker on Sheldons projects on psychopathology, and collaborator on 1958s Penny Whimsy. Counted as the third person to ever complete the series of 295 numbered varieties listed by Sheldon, her collection contained many superb early cents but was never published. When Paschal got wind of this cent turning up, she confided to Dr, Robert Carter in a September 22, 1966 letter that was later published in the July 1990 issue of Penny-Wise:I half traded half bought a nice 1800 from a Philadelphia collector named Van Roden who is going to sell out because he needs the money and wants to travel... (He) has mostly late dates but also quite a lot of the Early Cents too and a few rarities - He is dickering with Merkin and with the Paramount outfit to sell them at auction probably next year some time.Her prediction was mostly correct. The Van Roden collection appeared at auction in May 1968, cataloged and offered by Stacks rather than Lester Merkin or Paramount. The sale, containing 221 large cents from Van Roden, was particularly rich with high grade middle and late dates; one wonders just how many of the fine early dates Mrs. Paschal was able to extract from Van Roden before the group was consigned.One of the most beautiful and best preserved cents of this date in existence, this coin ranks alone atop both the published census listings for this variety and the PCGS Population Report for cents of this date. It is the only Sheldon-209 recognized as Mint State by Del Bland and Bill Noyes, significantly exceeding the quality of the About Uncirculated and Extremely Fine coins that compose the rest of the Condition Census.
