1840 Braided Hair Cent. N-8. Rarity-1. Large Date. MS-65 RD (PCGS).Boldly lustrous mint orange surfaces exhibit wisps of rich rose-gold iridescence. Numerous tiny flecks come to light under low magnification, with the only readily visible fleck seen with the naked eye at a point in the field below Libertys chin. The strike is bold throughout with fully rendered stars and central details. Late obverse state, dentils weak in places, flow lines adorn Libertys neck, rim crumbling from 1 to 6 oclock. Reverse from a middle state with some softness in the dentils and with no die lines through ERIC; these faded quickly from the die and are seen only in very early states. Noyes Die State C/B. The Braided Hair type, which began in the twilight of 1839, was the last major motif in the large cent series. However, adjustments were made, and the earlier dates, as here, have the head smaller, more finely executed, and at a different angle in relation to the date. Newcomb-8 is one of 13 varieties for the 1840-dated issue. This beautiful Gem has not been rated by Noyes, Bland, or McCawley-Grellman. Mark Borckardt grades this specimen as MS-64 by EAC standards.PCGS Population (all die marriages of the Large Date variety): just 4; 0 finer in this category.From Heritages sale of the Burning Tree Collection, March 2009, lot 154; our sale of the Cardinal Collection Educational Foundation, January 2013, lot 13060; our sale of the Collection of Thaddeus A. Tatum III, August 2018 ANA, lot 1058.
