Undated (1659) Maryland Lord Baltimore groat. Hodder 1-A, W-1010. AU-53 (PCGS).21.1 grains. A truly superb survivor of this rare issue, showing exceptional color and an unusually fine portrait. The surfaces are beautifully toned in antique gray enlivened with bold highlights of pale blue in the obverse fields and deep gold around the devices. The portrait is not fully detailed, but shows far more boldly than on most examples of this small denomination. The obverse is aligned to the right, with an unstruck area outside the beads visible to the left, while the reverse is shifted barely to its base. Both sides are positively choice and defect free, with only a single tiny rim flaw seen at 10:30 on the obverse and 7:30 on the reverse. The reverse die is broken right of the shield, touching but not swallowing the V adjacent to it. A stellar quality example worthy of a connoisseurs cabinet. Of the 20 or so survivors of this rare denomination, perhaps only six are this nice or nicer, one of which shows major double striking. At least one specimen has been recovered from American soil (the holed piece from the Stacks July 2008 auction), and most show significant circulation. Only 10 have been graded by PCGS in all grades, and this type has been missing in any level of preservation from plenty of first tier cabinets, including the Ford Collection.PCGS Population: 2; 2 finer (MS-62 finest).From the Archangel Collection. Earlier, from Stacks sale of the Laird U. Park Collection, May 1976, lot 16.
