Extremely rare in Mint State. The Bement coin, probably finest (MS-65), brought $170 in 1916 when the Abbey 1799 brought only $160! - Walter Breen, "The Cent Collectors Forum," The Numismatist, February 1958Obverse surfaces toned deep olive and steel radiate cartwheel luster, matched by the lustrous appeal of the deep olive and gold reverse. The surfaces retain an impressive degree of frost on both sides, particularly among the reverse intricacies where mint color was last to fade. The obverse is fairly well centered for this variety, though the denticles on the left side are a bit stouter than those on the right; the reverse is centered nearly identically. As often seen with this variety, the die rotation is unusual, here seen approximately 25 degrees counterclockwise from perfect medal alignment. Many microscopic dark spots are seen on the obverse under proper light, with the greatest concentration seen on the portrait and close by in the right obverse field. A thin hairline scratch blends in near the periphery of the upper right obverse, crossed by another shorter scratch near its midpoint. Only light contact marks are seen otherwise, and the reverse is largely free of them. Both sides show significant applied gloss.The die state is advanced, described in the text of the Breen book as Die State IV, though this coin shows the thin rim breaks above LIBE of LIBERTY that qualify it for Die State V. Clash marks are prominent around the devices of both sides, and a bulge raises near the rim below Libertys lowest curl.Just as Ted Naftzger purchased the T. James Clarke and Dr. Sheldon collections intact, pulled out a handful of coins, and sold the rest with his downgrades at auction, William H. Woodin purchased the entire collection of Peter Mougey after Mougeys death in order to extract upgrades of a few important issues. Thomas Elder notes in the preface to the Mougey sale "while a few of the gold pieces, and some of the silver dollars (including mint marks) were sold privately before the collection was turned over to me, many splendid coins have been added in their places," noting that Mougeys runs of half cents, large cents, half dimes through half dollars, and paper money was being offered intact. While Elder didnt mention who consigned the collection in 1910, he revealed the answer 27 years later, when offering a copy of the Mougey catalog in his January 1937 sale, describing the sales contents and importance while parenthetically adding "(Colln owned by late Wm. H. Woodin)."Henry C. Hines purchased this cent directly from the 1916 Bement sale, paying $170 for it one lot after Dr. Henry W. Beckwith paid $240 for the gem red 1807 Comet variety that Bement had acquired after it was found in an old trunk. Henry Chapman suggested that this coin, not the Bement-Beckwith Comet that preceded it, was "probably the finest cent of this date known." Today, the Bement-Beckwith Comet is one of three 1807 perfect date cents to have received a higher grade at PCGS, all graded MS-65 RB. For over a century, this coin has been regarded as one of the finest examples of its date, a status that remains as certain as its superlative aesthetic appeal.
