MEXICO. 1/4 Real, 1846. Chihuahua Mint. NGC MS-65 Brown. KM-341. Variety with fraction bar. A mystifying survivor, this Gem copper was struck on a fully round flan and displays surfaces that are nearly flawless with hints of original red coloration appearing around the designs on both sides. A result of its striking from aged dies, some shallowness of relief appears in the obverse legends, but all elements remain entirely legible. A miracle coin in this quality, no other example has even made the Mint State tier at NGC, while PCGS shows one MS-62 in their population reports. Clearly the pinnacle for certified examples of this date, it is sure to excite the Mexican specialist with a keenness for these crude and elusive copper types.
