 1821 N.1 ¾ (R-6). Proof-64. Red. One of the finer surviving examples of this rare early Proof. The fields and devices are wonderfully red, there being only the slightest degree of fading. Liberty is particularly well frosted and stands out clearly in contrast to deeply reflective mirror fields. Only minor hairlines are present, and the fields are almost entirely free of other signs of contact from handling. Identifiable by a faded toning spot between stars three and four, and a curling lintmark in Liberty's hair above the 'IB' of LIBERTY. On the reverse, there is a tiny speck in the field past the lower right serif of the 'E' in ONE. The color is well matched on the obverse and reverse.
The obverse was struck at least three times, with faint evidence of the first strike virtually eliminated by the following blows from the dies. Shadowy striking remnants are present in the fields surrounding some of the stars and devices. The stars show partial flattening on the points, with the centers brought up very sharp; a characteristic seen on many of the other surviving Proofs of this date. The reverse shows no trace of doubling as that side apparently stayed in the (anvil) die while the obverse (hammer) die struck the coin multiple times.
A loupe will discover two raised ridges on the edge; one adjacent to star one, the other by star twelve. These were likely caused by some sort of collar employed by the Mint during the striking process. The edge itself is very crisp and defined, as seen on Proofs a few generations later. For the specialist, the present coin represents a wonderful opportunity to obtain a very rare early Proof Large Cent, and a coin that is no doubt one of the finer examples of the fifteen or twenty that probably came down to us today.
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