1836 Classic Head Half Cent. Original. B-1. Rarity-5. Proof-62 BN (NGC).A significant rarity as are all Proof half cents. The dark steel-blue patina reveals a blend of crimson and turquoise iridescence beneath a light source. Semi reflective throughout the fields with a more satiny luster blanketing the design elements. Sharply struck and pleasantly smooth under inspection. Breen noted about 12 surviving examples of this issue when he wrote his Encyclopedia of United States and Colonial Proof Coins(1977), but counted roughly twice that many in his Encyclopedia of United States Half Cents (1983). In the four decades since, certified populations have further increased our insight into the number of pieces extant. The present example remains an important survivor in this limited population, with just 8 examples graded finer by NGC in this category.NGC Census: 3; 8 finer.Ex Heritages sale of the Findley Collection, January 2009, lot 160.
