1886 Indian Cent. Type II Obverse. MS-66 RD (CACG).
This lovely cent exhibits full, richly original rose-orange color and silky smooth satin surfaces. Smartly impressed with crisp striking detail throughout the design, this expertly produced and preserved Gem belongs in a world class collection of circulation strike Indian cents. Outstanding! For unknown reasons, Chief Engraver Charles E. Barber (or another engraver on staff) slightly modified the obverse of James Barton Longacre's Indian cent in 1886, lowering the relief and reducing the width of Liberty's portrait. The Type II Obverse is further distinguished by the removal of the extra outlines to the letters in the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and the lack of a gap between the lower hair curl and the bottom of the ribbon. The most widely known feature of this obverse hub, however, is the lowermost feather in Liberty's headdress pointing between the letters CA in AMERICA. The Type II Obverse received its first numismatic exposure in 1954 when Michigan dealer Jim Reynolds wrote of it in the Numismatic Scrapbook magazine. It has since been recognized as scarcer than its Type I Obverse counterpart, with Rick Snow (2014) estimating that of the 17,654,290 circulation strike cents produced in 1886 only 7,650,000 examples were of the Type II Obverse design. In the finest Mint State grades this variety is a formidable condition rarity, the CACG premium Gem offered here representing what could very well be a once in a lifetime bidding opportunity for the advanced collector.
PCGS# 92156. NGC ID: 228E.

Estimate: $12000