Large Cents 1801 S-222 R1 MS62 Brown PCGS. Lustrous

Large Cents
1801 S-222 R1 MS62 Brown PCGS. Lustrous medium steel and light chocolate brown. Satiny mint frost covers the fields and protected areas and this cent has excellent eye appeal. Looks mint state but there is a hint of rub on the highest points of the devices. Just a few trivial marks including tick on the throat, a spot of slightly lighter brown toning at the ear lobe, a planchet chip touching the leaf under the O in OF, and a thin planchet void down from the right side of that F (both as struck). E-MDS, Breen state II, with a narrow rim cud over IB in LIBERTY and die clashmarks from dentils arcing through LIBERTY. The strike is weak on the right half of both sides, a common feature for this variety thanks to misaligned dies. Graded AU55 and CC#2 in the Noyes census, his photo #21118. Bland says MS60 and tied for CC#2. This cataloger's EAC grade is AU58. Comes with a great provenance that has been traced back well over 100 years. This is the plate coin for the variety in the 2000 Breen large cent encyclopedia. Both sides are plated in the 1879 Frossard monograph on half cents and large cents, and the obverse is plated in the 1925 Newcomb reference on the cents of 1801-1803. A superior cent with a great history and superlative provenance. The attribution and Doug Bird Collection provenance are noted on the PCGS Gold Shield label. PCGS population 2; none finer. 36251.62/38259615.
Ex J. Brevoort-Lorin G. Parmelee, William H. Strobridge 8/1873:1769-G. W. Merritt, Edouard Frossard 1/3/1879:136-C. F. Frothingham, H. G. Sampson 5/29/1883:77-James B. Wilson, Thomas L. Elder #21, 10/5/1908:1009-Dr. Henry W. Beckwith, S. H. Chapman 4/27/1923:25-Elmer S. Sears-Howard R. Newcomb, J. C. Morgenthau & Co. #458, 2/7/1945:329-Leonard M. Holland, Pennypacker Auction Centre 5/8/1959-Louis Helfenstein, Lester Merkin 8/14/1964:21 (plated)-Richard Picker-R. E. Naftzger Jr., New Netherlands Coin Co., 11/14/1973:535-Rare Coin Company of America-C. Douglas Smith-Dr. Robert J. Shalowitz-C. Douglas Smith-William R. T. Smith-Myles Z. Gerson-Bertram Cohen 5/1983-Denis W. Loring 5/1985-Herman Halpern, Stack's 3/16/1988:194-Douglas F. Bird Collection, Goldbergs 2/16/2020:86-Walter J. Husak Collection.

Édouard Frossard (1837-1899) was born near Geneva, Switzerland and immigrated to the U.S. in 1858. He was a veteran of the Civil War, wounded twice and cited for bravery several times. In his numismatic literature reference, John Adams writes: "Frossard early on demonstrated the impetuosity which characterized much of his professional life." During his numismatic career that began in 1877, Ed. Frossard conducted 160 auctions, published a house organ titled Numisma, wrote Monograph of the United States Cents and Half Cents 1793-1857, and co-authored Varieties of the United States Cents of the Year 1794 with William Wallace Hays. Adams discussed his series of sales: "Beginning with sale one in September 1878, the series is distinguished both by features and by content. ... In terms of content, the Frossard catalogs represent great variety and cumulatively, great knowledge. ... His comments regarding competitors and competitive practices, some of them quite lengthy, are highly amusing if nothing else."
From The Collections of Walter J. Husak and The Liberty Cap Foundation.

https://coins.ha.com/itm/large-cents/1801-s-222-r1-ms62-brown-pcgs/a/1370-2180.s?type=DA-DMC-CoinArchives-USCoins-1370-01042024

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