1923-S Lincoln Cent. MS-65 RD (PCGS).

With bold full detail throughout the design, this is a very well struck 1923-S Lincoln cent. Full tan-orange mint color is also noteworthy, and it confirms the conditionally rare nature of this impressive Gem. As with many earlier issues from the 1920s, the 1923-S is one of the more notable condition rarities in the entire Lincoln series. Only 8,700,000 cents were struck at San Francisco that year, but thanks in part to hoarding in later years, the 1923-S is generally available in the lowest circulated grade levels, but it becomes progressively scarcer up through the About Uncirculated levels. In Mint State preservation, this is an especially challenging issue even at the lower end of that scale. Poorly defined details are the norm, thanks in part to heavily worn dies. Most specimens possess a streaky brown and red woodgrain appearance even at the very highest levels of preservation, the result of poorly mixed metal in the planchets. Uncirculated specimens with crisp details and full, even mint color are exceptional and eagerly sought on those rare occasions when they are available. Only a handful of Lincoln cent enthusiasts may be able to claim a full Red Gem Mint State 1923-S for their holdings. This is an opportunity not easily overlooked.

PCGS# 2548. NGC ID: 22CB.

PCGS Population: 20; with a single MS-65+ RD finer in this category.

From Heritage's Portland Signature Sale of March 2004, lot 5225; Heritage's sale of the William Bickel Collection, Part I, July 2005 San Francisco ANA Signature Auction, lot 10121; Heritage's sale of the Jerald L. Martin Collection, January 2019 FUN Signature Auction, lot 4357; Heritage's CSNS Signature Auction of May 2023, lot 3036.

Estimate: $40000