1806 Draped Bust Half Cent. C-2. Rarity-4. Small 6, Stems to Wreath. AU-53 BN (NGC).Dominant swaths of mahogany eclipse each side of this lovely piece, adorned by crescents of apricot hues at the borders. The devices are uniformly bold and topped by steel blue iridescence, with suggestions of die fatigue present at the rims. A small flaw was present in the planchet when it was struck and remains still visible beneath the ribbons in Libertys hair. The fields are incredibly smooth and without blemishes, harboring traces of luster that is most prominent across the reverse. The strong eye appeal and overall preservation undoubtedly approaches the Choice AU level, asserting this piece among the mid-range of the condition census for the variety!<p>Cohen-2 is the more readily obtainable of the two die marriages of the 1806 Small 6, Stems to Wreath Guide Book variety, but examples are still scarce in an absolute sense. In fact, C-2 is the second rarest die marriage of the 1806-dated issue as a whole, and survivors are especially elusive in the finer circulated and Mint State grades, as here. <p>PCGS# 1096.PCGS Population: 4; 11 finer.Ex Ray Munde; Roger Cohen; Jim McGuigan; Jules Reiver; Bob Yuell; Chris McCawley; Bob Fagaly; our sale of November 2017, lot 1007.
