1792五美分银币 PCGS MS 63
1792 half disme. Silver. MS-63 (PCGS). CAC.ZZZ grains. Medal turn. An exceptionally well struck and beautifully toned example of our nation’s first coinage. Brightly lustrous and nicely reflective silver gray surfaces show a symphony of attractive color, with rich gold and pale rose at the central obverse enhanced by bright pastel blue closer to the rims, paired with a rich gold central reverse surrounded by mottled tones of pale blue and faded violet. The boldness of the devices is impressive and unusual, with a completely defined eagle that stands out from the surrounding reverse fields and a crisp portrait that emerges in full delineation and rounded relief. The strike is ideally centered on both sides, and the denticles are fully present, though some are a bit flat inside the rim. Only the most trivial hairlines and scattered suggestions of handling are noted under well-lit magnified scrutiny, and no contact marks require mention. A short curved C-shaped struck through in the field in front of the portrait’s lips will serve as a pedigree marker. <p>The die state is early, with reflective surfaces on both sides and no evidence of the reverse die crack. This is Smith/Orosz/Augsburger state 1-A, the very earliest state among the 1,500 coins delivered to Thomas Jefferson on July 13, 1792. A second striking of 1792 half dimes was thought to have been produced in October, but this piece’s crisp prooflike appearance leaves no doubt that it was among the earliest 1792 half dimes produced. It is no hyperbole to go a step further: this is one of the very first United States coins, and it survives in magnificent condition to this day.<p>The romance of the 1792 half dimes is unparalleled, especially those from the first striking. Delivered by hand to Thomas Jefferson on his last day in Philadelphia that summer, it appears Jefferson spent them on his trip back to Monticello, largely as tips for the servants he encountered along the way. At Chester, Christiana, Elkton, Bushtown, Baltimore, Elkridge, Bladensburg, Georgetown, Elkrun Church, and Orange, Jefferson recorded tips to servants all in neat multiples of five cents. While the quartered pistareen (also worth 5 cents) was the coin of the realm in the Chesapeake colonies, they were also difficult to carry in quantities for one simple reason: they were pointy and inconvenient (this is why folks in the Ohio Valley called them “sharp money”). The very first payment of precisely $0.05 Jefferson recorded in his Memorandum Book after receiving the half dismes took place in Virginia on July 19, 1792. The recipient was recorded as, simply, “a child.” It’s a moment anyone can imagine — dropping a bright shiny new coin in a tiny hand — and it could just as well have been this coin. Over the next 24 hours, Jefferson delivered two more half dismes into the hands of children he encountered. These were not pattern coins. They were spending money that Jefferson, then a man approaching 50, was enjoying handing out on his long trip home. One wonders if the upcoming arrival of his first grandchild was turning him into a softy. Thomas Jefferson Randolph was born on September 12, 1792, just two months later.<p>There may be a few higher graded 1792 half dimes than this one, but it would be nearly impossible to find an example that showcase this coin’s combination of technical grade, aesthetic appeal, superb strike, and ideal centering. Add to these aspects the certainty that this coin was among the very first struck, adding a very special historical narrative to its provenance. This is, in many ways, the ultimate specimen for those who seek a near ideal unity of every possible positive characteristic, a perfectionist’s coin if there ever was one.PCGS Population: 4; 14 finer.From the Archangel Collection. Earlier, from Stack’s sale of April 1978, lot 417; J.C. Morgenthau and Co. (Wayte Raymond and James Macallister)’s sale of June 1942, lot 26.
