 1840 V.7. With Drapery. Gem Brilliant Uncirculated. There was only one die pair to strike all the With Drapery coins from the Philadelphia Mint according to Blythe. Although we do not want to definitively call this coin a Proof, it clearly has many Proof characteristics and undoubtedly is an early strike from these dies. The definition and lustre are not at all typical of the more pedestrian survivors from this issue. Toned with regal russet-gold in the fields which darkens to magenta and framed by royal blue near the rims. A thoroughly satisfying coin to view for the abundant strike and rich toning.
Breen notes in his Proof Encyclopedia that a few Proofs are known from this die pair. Furthermore, he speculates that Proofs may have been struck by Engraver Robert Ball Hughes to memorialize the addition of a heavy drapery fold below Liberty's arm, an attempt to add respectability to a proper lady of the period. Faint die polish lines are seen in the fields, and these confirm the early striking status of the present example. NGC MS66.
Ex The May Sale (Stack's, May 1998, lot 365).
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