1/10/25 3:11 AM
Gold: $2,679.21
Silver: $30.26
Platinum: $965.01
Palladium: $936.93
G/S: 88.53
Pt/G: 0.36
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map11005 Olive Boulevard
St. Louis, MO 63141
phone 314-692-2646 email Email
hoursMon - Fri: 8am to 5pm (CT)
Sat: 8am - 4pm (CT)
Lot #: Go
Lot Title: 1884 NGC MS-66
Lot Number: 833
Description: D.S. Consignment. Gifford 1884B05. 4 graded MS-66, 1 higher at NGC. PCGS posts a similar population at the same levels at 3/1. Incredibly, across all mint-state levels, NGC has certified a total of only thirteen examples, further cementing a well-deserved reputation as THE key to the series. The Ultimate Guide to U.S. Three Cent Nickels 1865 to 1889 was an extreme labor of numismatic love written by the cataloger's personal friend, Allan Gifford (who kindly mentioned my trivial contributions in the Acknowledgements on Page 7 of the book). I had the opportunity to spend some evenings at Allan's home in Florissant, Missouri (not to mention numerous hours at coin shows) and seemingly without fail, every conversation we ever had eventually meandered into the realm of "proof vs. business strike", or what today is more properly called a "circulation strike". The distinction is of paramount importance for the 1884 issues taken off of four working die pairings, because the latter are far rarer than proofs, and far more valuable, especially in high grade. Indeed, all of the grading services are known to have errors in judgment both ways in slabs since they tend to govern their decision by "gut feel" and whether or not the coin "looks proof". Thus it is our goal to settle any doubts for the present example which NGC properly considers a "circulation strike", according to the best known reference. The first three working die pairs can be quickly eliminated from contention since none of them uses the all-important obverse die used for 1884B05. The obverse die for the latter is the only one showing two tiny dots raised out of the field below and right of the edge of Liberty's ear, and it is clearly documented in the book. Furthermore, these dies struck both proof and circulating coins, so the only diagnostic that must be examined is whether or not the dies saw "HEAVY DIE POLISHING" (Gifford's emphasis). (Unfortunately, the NGC slab completely obscures the edge -- on proof blanks, the edge was polished prior to striking, as were both faces of each blank). Of course, the die was originally polished and finished for proof manufacture, but according to Gifford, just prior to being put into service to strike circulating coins, the reverse was once more polished, erasing the lowest edge of the left ribbon end. And that characteristic shows plainly on this somewhat prooflike example. Elsewhere in the text, Gifford mentions another subtle characteristic, which is within the denticles themselves. The multiple strikings per proof coin nearly always brought up fully convex denticles, whereas circulation strikes received only a single blow from the dies -- not enough to bring the denticles up fully. Such is the case here as virtually all of the reverse denticles have a somewhat convex appearance, further adding to the circulation strike status.
PCGS #: 3752
Certification: 571981-014
Estimate: $20,000-$23,000
Lot Status: Bidding has been closed for this lot.
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1884 NGC MS-66
1884 NGC MS-66
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