Large Cents 1796 S-117 R5+ Draped Bust, Reverse of 1797, AU55

Large Cents
1796 S-117 R5+ Draped Bust, Reverse of 1797, AU55 PCGS. Very attractive glossy light olive brown and chocolate with a puff of reddish brown toning at RTY in LIBERTY. The surfaces are smooth, free of any trace of roughness or verdigris, but there are some light contact marks scattered over both sides. A collection of tiny nicks left of the L in LIBERTY, a horizontal hairline scratch in the field right of the neck, and a minor rim bruise at TA in STATES are the notable marks. Nicely struck EDS, Breen state I, before any die cracks. Graded EF40 net VF35 and CC#2 in the Noyes census, his photo #21680. Bland says EF45 net VF35 and CC#3. Only 3 examples have been graded better than F15 by EAC standards, so this variety is one of the more difficult ones to find in higher grades. The famous collections of Walter Husak (Heritage 1/2008:2118) and Daniel Holmes (Goldberg 9/2009:200) contained corroded net VG8 examples, and the best one in the ANS collection grades net VG10. This cataloger's EAC grade for this example is VF35. The attribution and Doug Bird Collection provenance are noted on the PCGS Gold Shield label. PCGS population 1; none finer. 35864.55/37572689.
Ex S. Benton Emory (acquired circa 1914)-Walter P. Nichols, Bowers & Merena 11/12/1984:24 (as EF45, plated)-Jack H. Robinson, Superior 1/29/1989:216-Dennis Mendelson 7/15/1991-R. S. Brown, Jr., Superior 1/27/1996:163-Douglas F. Bird Collection, Goldbergs 2/16/2020:41-Walter J. Husak Collection (includes the Mendelson and Brown collection envelopes and the last 2 lot tickets).

A New England banker, Samuel Benton Emery joined the American Numismatic Association on January 6, 1901. He was born in Sanford, Maine on October 15, 1848, and died in Melrose, Massachusetts on July 1, 1914. He married Elizabeth Frances Appleton Kimball on January 11, 1869, and they were the parents of five children including three who lived to adulthood. Their youngest child, Faith Elizabeth Emery married Walter P. Nichols who continued the collection. Bowers and Merena conducted an auction of the Emery and Nichols Collections in November 1984.
From The Collections of Walter J. Husak and The Liberty Cap Foundation.

https://coins.ha.com/itm/large-cents/1796-s-117-r5-draped-bust-reverse-of-1797-au55-pcgs/a/1370-2105.s?type=DA-DMC-CoinArchives-USCoins-1370-01042024

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