This superb cent displays underlying orange mint red throughout the fields. It is most intense close to the rims and in the recesses and smoothly fades to gentle steel brown on the more exposed areas of the design. A couple of extremely subtle spots of deeper patina are noted, including one on the throat and another over the E of CENT. The best identifier is a small retained lamination atop the 8 in the date which is as made. Bold lustrous cartwheels on both sides give this piece exceptional eye appeal.Struck from the later states of the dies, this is Noyes State-B/B, with flowlines in the fields and softening of the dentils. The dentils are gone in some areas of the reverse, though this is partly due to the slightly imperfect strike alignment. The overdate remains clearly visible at the 2, while only faint remnants of a 9 are detected behind the 0. Recutting on star 11 is still clear, though Noyes comments that it becomes blurry in the latest state.This piece is listed in the Noyes Census as tied with two others for finest known, but judging from the images of the two other pieces, this one offers superior color. It is quite exceptional and the single finest graded by PCGS.
