1787 Massachusetts Half Cent. Ryder 3-A, W-5920. Rarity-4. MS-62 BN (PCGS). A remarkably nice example of this scarce variety. Frosty chocolate-brown with lighter golden highlights around design elements where the mint color was last to fade. Lovely smooth fields are broadly framed by long denticles and a slight upset rim on both sides, giving this well struck piece a cameo-like appearance and magnificent aesthetic appeal. The Indian has his usual rusty and ill-defined appearance, a by-product of the die and distinctive within this series. A tiny patch of the most minor surface roughness is seen at AC of MASSACHUSETTS above one wing on the reverse, a touch of old buildup in the intricacies here and there, really a highly pleasing and wholesome coin. Exceeds most every other example of this die pair that has been seen in recent memory. The Partrick coin was perhaps slightly more lustrous but the excellent eye appeal offered here makes this one of the more desirable specimens available.<p> PCGS# 688341. From the Sydney F. Martin Collection. Earlier from our (Stacks) Henry Leon Sale, May 2007, lot 486.
