1787 Massachusetts Half Cent. Ryder 3-A, W-5920. Rarity-4. AU-55 (PCGS). Superior quality and eye appeal for this conditionally challenged Ryder number. Satiny and tight with plenty of good gloss, the surfaces are originally toned in handsome copper-brown. Sharply defined overall from a well executed strike, the in hand appearance is smooth in the absence of all but a few inconsequential marks. The Boston-based Massachusetts Mint is estimated to have struck between 61,500 and 79,500 half cents dated 1787. Ryder 3-A must have accounted for a small percentage of the total, for the variety is scarce today, and particularly difficult to collect in grades above EF. The Partrick provenance further enhances the appeal of this highly desirable example. PCGS# 688341. Ex Anthony Terranova; Stacks; Jon Hanson, April 1988; Donald Groves Partrick; Heritages sale of the Donald Groves Partrick Collection, January 2015 FUN Signature Auction, lot 5677, as NGC AU-58. Partrick envelope with attribution and provenance notes included.
