There is little to add to the description of this extraordinary coin when it appeared in my January 2015 FUN Show Sale. Lot 8 was part of Keith Davignon’s collection. It brought $10,175. Here is what I had to say:This offering will garner many votes as the most important coin in the sale. As a Red Book variety the 1824/1 is not rare. Virtually all seen are O.101, an R.1 die pair. The die variety collector knows the 1824/1 O.102 to be a consummate rarity. In high grade it hardly exists. The Davignon coin is probably 3rd finest of the scant population. It has an enticing history. It was Henry Hilgard’s set piece until John Tidwell pried it loose in 1997. I am uncertain whether Henry or our mutual mentor Elton Dosier cherried the coin. Elton owned a slightly finer example, considered the finest known. The Hilgard/Tidwell coin, offered here, was lot 10 in my August 2004 Sale of Selected Rarities from the Tidwell Collection, graded AU 58 by NGC. Charlton Meyer Jr. pounced, bringing it home at $9,922. The last appearance of the coin was in July 2008 as lot 35 in my Selected Rarities Sale of coins from the Meyer Collection. Davignon prevailed at $14,702, demonstrating the respect that advanced collectors hold for high grade examples of this die pair. The coin is richly toned in shades of antique grey. The underlying luster is virtually complete. Davignon crossed the coin from NGC to PCGS, being realistic in accepting a demotion from AU 58 to AU 53. CAC rewarded him with a well-deserved little green bean.Estimate: $9,000 and up
Auction Ended
High Bid
Maximum Bid
Total Price
$11,050
Reserve met
$15,650
$12,155
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Sheridan Downey, Numismatist 4400 Keller Ave.,
Suite 140, PMB 398 Oakland, California 94605 sdowney3@aol.com (510) 479-1585
