1854 Braided Hair Cent. N-12. Rarity-6 as a Proof. Proof-63 BN (PCGS). Cordovan brown at the central obverse changes to sea foam green, blue and vivid gold radially outward on the obverse. The reverse displays a similar array of color, but not quite as robustly. Sharply struck with bold satiny devices and somewhat reflective fields, though they seem a little subdued. Walter Breen listed ten different specimens of this variety in Proof with the comment that he had seen perhaps a "couple of dozen" more. More current research suggests this estimate to be high and it is currently believed to be Rarity-6. Ex Mike Follett, February 1978; Robinson S. Brown, Jr.; Superiors sale of the Robinson S. Brown, Jr. Collection, September 1986, lot 1385; Walter Dudgeon; McCawley and Grellmans sale of the Walter Dudgeon Collection, July 1994, lot 479; our sale of the Twin Leaf Collection of Large Cents, Part II, March 2016 Baltimore Auction, lot 11234.
