This remarkably fresh-looking coin has bold cartwheel luster that accentuates the lovely color. Much of the original red remains, now faded to warm orange with accents of faint steel brown in the most vulnerable areas. One extremely faint mark is noted behind the portrait, along with a couple of tiny patina specks, but otherwise the surfaces are extremely clean, frosty and exceptionally attractive. One tiny lint mark is also noted, passing beneath star 2.A sharp strike from early state dies, equivalent to Grellmans State-a, has imparted a uniform satin texture free of flowlines. Good detail is present throughout, including nice definition of the stars, each of which display complete centers.High-grade late dates are relatively plentiful and this date is no exception. However, very few are graded this high and neither of the two examples graded finer by PCGS are this variety. In fact, this superb piece is called CC#1 by both Grellman and Noyes, making it a consensus choice for the very finest N-23.
