Light blue steel patina is seen on the high points of the obverse motifs, rims and open areas of the field, and pleasant faded red otherwise. The reverse exhibits a bit more original color, but the higher areas of relief have mellowed to light olive brown. Strong frosty luster on both sides is scarcely interrupted at all, safe for a trivial hairline between UNITED and STATES and a tiny natural planchet flaw crossing star 6.Noyes Die State-C/C, as evidenced by the heavy flowlines at the lower neck and weakened dentils on the obverse. Both dies exhibit strong clash marks that are not mentioned by Noyes for this variety, but they are prominent here. The dies have also been lapped and there is a bit of general softness as a result. This has also eliminated the once bold die line from the leaf tip, below the R of AMERICA.This piece is really quite exceptional save for the tiny natural flaw and it has graced some important cabinets over the decades. Though it is not listed in the top six of Noyes Condition Census, we suspect that it would compare favorably in hand against some of the coins that do.
