1857 Braided Hair Cent. N-2. Rarity-1. Small Date. MS-65 RB (PCGS). CAC.<strong>Type: </strong>Braided Hair.<p><strong>Design:</strong> Obv: A head of Liberty faces left with 13 stars around the border and the date 1857 below. She is wearing a coronet inscribed LIBERTY, her hair tied into a bun at the back of her head by a beaded cord. Rev: A circular wreath encloses the denomination ONE CENT with the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA around the border.<p><strong>Weight Standard:</strong> 10.89 grams.<p><strong>Diameter:</strong> 27.5 mm.<p><strong>Die Variety:</strong> Newcomb-2. Obv: Small Date. There is a light die line at the top of the junction of the letters TY in LIBERTY, and a tiny die chip below the earlobe at the junction of Libertys jaw and neck. The 1857 N-2 represents the only use of this obverse die. Rev: Early die states exhibit faint die lines between the denticles and the letters UNIT in UNITED, and there is a tiny die chip on top of the right base of the letter T in CENT. The 1857 N-2 also represents the only use of this reverse die.<p>All die marriages of this issue except for N-1 correspond to the Small Date <em>Guide Book</em> variety of the 1857 Braided Hair cent. Two of these die marriages (N-3 and N-5) are known only in Proof format.<p><strong>Die State:</strong> Grellman a, Noyes A/A. Obv: Perfect. Rev: Perfect, with the aforementioned die lines above the letters UNIT in UNITED.<p><strong>Edge:</strong> Plain.<p><strong>Mintage for the Issue:</strong> 333,546 coins.<p><strong>Estimated Surviving Population for the Die Variety:</strong> Rarity-1: More than 1,500 coins in all grades.<p><strong>Strike:</strong> This piece is sharply struck overall with most central design elements fully rendered and complete denticulation around the borders on both sides. Most of the stars on the obverse are blunt and lack centrils, however, and the top of the coronet is also a bit soft.<p><strong>Surfaces:</strong> Iridescent lilac-brown patina mingles with ample vivid rose-orange mint color on both sides of this handsome coin. The surfaces are softly frosted with a smooth and appealing appearance. Even under close scrutiny with a loupe one will not see any blemishes of note. A tiny carbon fleck at the left obverse border between stars 3 and 4 is a useful provenance marker.<p><strong>Commentary:</strong> Although it is represented by two circulation strike die marriages as opposed to one, the Small Date is the scarcer of the two <em>Guide Book</em> varieties of the final year 1857 Braided Hair cent. This scarce PCGS-certified Gem Uncirculated example is a fitting conclusion to our offering of the fabulous large cents in the ESM cabinet.PCGS# 1932.PCGS Population (both die marriages of the Small Date variety): 7; 1 finer in this category (MS-66 RB).From the ESM Collection. Earlier from Heritages sale of the Joshua and Ally Walsh Collection of United States Cents, January 2006 FUN Signature Auction, lot 667.
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