1825 Matron Head Cent. N-5. Rarity-6+. Good-4 (PCGS). A smooth and pleasing example of this legendary variety. Glossy medium brown and steel with no roughness and only modest circulation marks. The attribution points are clear. This prized variety was catalogued by Frank D. Andrews in the early 1880s in his<em style="box-sizing:border-box;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;orphans:2;text-align:start;widows:2;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;word-spacing:0px;"> An Arrangement of United States Copper Cents 1816-1857</em>, for the Assistance of Collectors, (2d edition, 1883). He identified it then as a pairing of his A4 obverse with the reverse of his A10. When Howard Newcomb wrote his landmark <em style="box-sizing:border-box;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;orphans:2;text-align:start;widows:2;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;word-spacing:0px;">United States Copper Cents 1816-1857 </em>in 1944, he used the work of Andrews as a basis, expanding on the descriptions and listings. He worked directly from a second edition copy of Andrews work, noting varieties he was able to confirm, and an-notating the copy with his own notes as to rarity. He drew upon his own superb collection of cents, as well as study of other advanced collections and added varieties unknown to Andrews. In addition, in the words of George Clapp who wrote a foreword to Newcombs work, "[New-comb] has been able to eliminate varieties that no one, in recent years at least, has been able to find." This statement pertains directly to the 1825 N-5, among others. Newcomb was able to confirm each one of Andrews cents of 1825 except for this one, addressed in his book simply, "Andrews No5 is unknown to me." This was the fact for the entire community of large cent collectors until December 2011, 67 years after Newcomb penned his work, when Tom Deck rediscovered this variety in an eBay listing. More than a dozen examples have come to light in the ensuing decade, predictably most in low grade. This piece probably ranks in the top half in terms of eye appeal and surface quality and will make an important addition for one lucky specialist. PCGS# 522136. From the John McBride Collection. Earlier from Goldbergs January 2015 Pre-Long Beach Auction, lot 486; Heritages August 2016 sale, lot 3086.
