1783 Unity States Cent. Musante GW-105, Baker-1A. Breen-1187. Triple Leaf at F. EF-45 (PCGS). 28.3 mm. 111.2 grains. Uniform deep olive brown on both sides with pleasantly glossy surfaces and no serious flaws. Just a couple of microscopic hairline scratches are noted on the obverse, but the overall eye appeal is really not impacted. Worn, but well struck and much better so than the typical Unity States, with full expression of the peripheral details including the rims and dentils that are often lost to planchet unevenness. At the centers will be seen the usual shallow striations from the original planchet texture that didnt strike out, and the unique pattern will help distinguish this as the discovery specimen.<p><p><p>The first known appearance of this variety was in the December 1972 sale of Harmer, Rooke Numismatics, Ltd., where it was simply described as the usual and common piece. However, the astute James D. King purchased the lot and realized there was a cluster of three leaves beneath the OF on the reverse, easily identifying this as a previously unknown die. Whether this happened before or after the sale is unknown, but in either case, he had found a prize! Walter Breen gave this a separate number in his 1988 <em>Encyclopedia</em>, along with a photo enlargement. Rulau and Fuld likewise added it to their 1999 revision of <em>Medallic Portraits</em>, though the obverse plate is erroneously not of this piece. They commented that this was "probably Rarity 8, but only one piece located," even 25 years after its discovery. Now, another 25 years has passed and to the best of our knowledge only one other example has surfaced, in inferior grade to this one. It appeared in an Early American History Auctions sale in February 2018, lot 296, graded VG-10 by ANACS, leaving this discovery specimen the finest known by a wide margin. From the Sydney F. Martin Collection. Previously in Harmer, Rooke Numismatics, Ltd.’s sale of December 1972, lot 128; James King, who discovered the unique reverse; our (ANR’s) sale of the Old Colony Collection, December 2005, lot 78; Heritage’s sale of August 2007, lot 42.
