One of the most spectacular surviving specimens of this entire design type, showing deep orange toning that turns to rose and violet inside the rims. The obverse is mostly satiny, with bold and complete cartwheel luster, while the reverse is both satiny and reflective. The strike is excellent and the centering is nearly perfect, shifted just a bit toward 6:00 on the reverse. The rim is a little crude where the edge dies came together, below 9 of the date, and a die crack spiders below the star under EC of ECUADOR. Aside from a thin horizontal hairline in the left obverse field, this piece is of essentially gem quality, with both the technical preservation and the eye appeal to reach that plateau. A truly magnificent piece, off the market for more than 35 years. From the Eldorado Collection of Colombian and Ecuadorian Coins.<p>From Henry Christensens sale of the Enrique Maulme Collection, October 1981, lot 126.
