 '1804 Restrike.' Mint State-60. Here is an especially fascinating example of one of the most famous creations of the early 19th century. Light brown surfaces show heavy die rust on the altered 1803 obverse die and the impression of the 1820 reverse die is very faint. Added to this, the reverse has been repeatedly stabbed by some chisel-like device, leaving a number of straight cuts toward the center, possibly by some irate collector of years gone by. This privately produced 'restrike' was long attributed to the ''midnight minters'' of the mid-19th century Philadelphia Mint, who may have been innocent in this case. Modern researchers have come to believe that these pieces were struck with Philadelphia Mint dies obtained as scrap metal by numismatic pioneer Joseph J. Mickley. Altering the '3' to a '4' and muling the resulting obverse with a worn 1820 reverse die, Mickley and possibly Edward Cogan then created this most famous of unofficial productions.
| |
|
