Walter Breen
Silver-minor proof sets. Winsor: 1070. Silver coins all proofs, cent uncirculated, half cent with small berries and possibly original but no photograph is available nor has the set reappeared in recent years. Possibly it has been broken up, though for many reasons of theory I hope not. Other sets were evidently made, as R. C. W. Brock had one (missing the quarter and probably the copper COins) when he sold his collection of proof sets to J. P. Morgan. It is now broken up, being distributed among the ANS's denomination sets. There are several hypotheses feasible about original sets' composition. (1) Should the Winsor set prove to have the B-1 dollar, this immediately throws suspicion on the B-2 as a later . striking made at the same time as many other dollars bearing the 1842 reverse. But its original status must necessarily depend on the fabric of the other coins, documentation being absent. (2) Should it have the B-2 dollar, its original status will necessarily depend on the fabric of the half cent. If this proves to have the reverse of 1851 or a reverse die hitherto unseen, and the fabric of an original half cent of the period (correct weight, finish similar to proofs of 1851 and 1850, no extreme knife-rim, no die failure), that will suffice to validate the set. If it proves to have the B reverse of 1856-57 with double impressions on CENT and ribbon, etc., once again the fabric of the coin will enable a decision on whether or not the piece is original. Presence of a restrike half-cent in a proof set where the cent itself is only uncirculated would suggest that the copper coins had been replaced as in some other Winsor sets. We would then be thrown back on examination of the fabric of the silver proofs. Presence of any with exceptional wire edges or die failures - or from die combinations associated with later years, e.g. the B-4 dollar with the 1858-59 reverse, the quarter or half dollar with a reverse identifiable as of later issue, etc. - will tell its own story: a set made up in later years to fill out someone's order for rare date coins. All the silver of 1852 in business strike form is scarce, the larger denominations particularly so. The reason is known: California gold discoveries had already begun to lower the world market level of gold in terms of silver, or what is the same thing, drive the price level of silver up in terms of gold. By 1851-52 this process had already made silver coins worth more as bullion than their face value. As a result little silver was brought to the mint for coinage, and much of the extant recent silver coinage was being exported for remelting. The only way out was a reduction in the standard weight of silver (the step actually taken by Congress in 1853), but in the meantime little silver was used for business strikes or for proofs in 1851-52.
It is nevertheless odd that more original proofs of 1852in all denominations were not known. An excellentoccasion for them existed in the triumphal visit of Lajos (Louis) Kossuth (1802-94) to the United States -an occasion marked by processions and celebrations like almost nothing since the Washington centenary of 1832 and the visit of the Marquis de Lafayette in 1824. Kossuth was a charismatic leader of extraordinary reputation, a sort of George Washington figure to the Hungarians of his day (the epoch of the 1848 counterpart to Freedom Marches).
Gold denominations. No proofs known.
Complete proof sets. None known.
1853
Half Cent. Unknown.
Cent. One was supposedly in the proof set, Mougey: 1277, not seen. The N-16 in the Crawford sale (Steigerwalt, 1894), reappearing in the Ryder sale (NN 41st), turned out to be an early strike. No genuine proof cent now known.
Trime. None known. Mickley had one of the type adopted in 1854 but even it is now unlocated.
Half Dime. Arrowheads at date. [5] New mintage, pursuant to Act of Congress, Feb. 21, 1853, at reduced weight of 19.2 grains instead of previous 20.8 grains. Newlin claimed in his 1883 book on half dimes that the new coins with arrowheads were first made March 3, 1853. As the first delivery of production coins with arrowheads (200,020 pieces -the odd 20 for assay?) took place April 29, these March 3 coins must have been proofs: five sets in all (see below). As it happens, though no early auction records for 1853 proofs with arrows were located (aside from the Mougey proof set), a proof half dime with arrows did turn up in the group shown me by Dave Bullowa in May 1952; it was attributed as Valentine 4 but is now believed to differ minutely from the V -4 dies used on business strikes. Obv. Thin numerals, serifs especially so, as are horizontal parts of loops of 853. High date, sloping down to L, top of 1 almost touching base; shield point about over left upright, skirt pendant almost over tip of 5, left base of 1 high above right part of a bead, arrows very close to base and well away from date or border, beads look smaller and spaced apart (lapped die) below date. Rev. Rather light lettering, many striations pointing southeast (imperfectly polished die). No defects of V-4. (1) Bullowa, May 1952. (2) F. C. C. Boyd, Landau:387 at a then (1958) astonishing $640, Stack's, apparently 1976 ANA: 63l. (3) W. L. Carson. The "V-2B" in E. M. Wharton: l081 is unverified. Occasion: the new coinage.
Dime. Arrowheads at date. [5] (1) Mrs. Norweb. (2) N. Y. state specialist. The following auction records are believed to account for two different examples, which may be the sources of one or both of the above: (a) Mickley: 1883, Parmelee: 1238, Earle: 3222, possibly the piece in Newcomb loan, ANA 1914. (b) Maris: 106, believed ex W. H. Smith coll., (Haseltine, Jan. 15, 1883) :283. Wayte Raymond had seen three, but the locations were not recorded.
Quarter. Arrows and rays. [5] Light recutting on 53 and L arrowhead, the first cutting slightly low. Right arrow point practically touches border; shield point above r. base of 1; left base of 1 about over center of dentil. Rev. Faint die file marks above ER in AMERICA. Faint die scratches or the like joining QU (visible in loop of Q), through C to final A and within blank spaces under wings, almost vertically. (1) Smithsonian, dies not checked, probably this variety. (2) The former Jerome Kern coin, lot 1445, possibly same as one of the ancient records following. (3) R. F. Batchelder to Don Jensen in four figures privately at the 1966 ANA convention; this piece was authenticated by me, later resold in LM 6/68:291. It has been drastically cleaned. Compare (a) Cleneay: 1417, (b) Winsor: 636, (c) Parmelee: 1235 - Woodin - Newcomer -Green. Possibly the three old records represent two of the coins mentioned as privately held plus a third still impounded somewhere. The piece is obviously about as rare as the dime. D. S. Wilson: 635 (1907) may be a reappearance of the Cleneay or Winsor pieces. There is also a piece from imperfectly polished dies and/or planchet but with excellent sharpness, passing from Steve Markoff to Harlan White and a private collector. Die identity must be rechecked on this one. Occasion: the new coinage, March 3; business strikes began April 26th.
Half Dollar. Arrows and rays. [5] Defect joins left arrow to base, date almost touches base and die defects join 1 5 to base. Rev.: Vertical striae; first red stripe thin at top, 2nd along most of length, 3rd at base; three die file marks slant up to r. from top leaves. (1) Smithsonian, from Mint collection. (2) The former Dr. J. Hewitt Judd specimen, "Illustrated History": 172, probably same as Reed Hawn: 178 at $6,500. (3) Norweb. (4) A badly cleaned piece traced from Parmelee: 1234 via Steigerwalt to Woodin, Newcomer, Green and Lohr: 753. It has excellent sharpness, and was obviously a proof rather than a first strike. (5) N.Y. state specialist. Occasion: the new coinage, March 3. One of these was ex W. H. Smith:258 (Haseltine, Jan. 1883).