1560: 1944-S 1C--On a Zinc-Plated Steel Planchet--MS66
| Start Price |
USD 180,000.00 |
| Current Price |
USD 350,000.00 |
| Time Left |
- |
| Bid Count |
35 |
| Buy It Now Price |
- |
| Reserve Price |
- |
| Start Time |
Thursday, July 31, 2008 |
| End Time |
Friday, August 01, 2008 |
| Location |
Baltimore, MD |
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See more about '1560: 1944-S 1C--On a Zinc-Plated Steel Planchet--MS66'
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Description
click for larger image1560: 1944-S 1C--On a Zinc-Plated Steel Planchet--MS66 1944-S 1C --On a Zinc-Plated Steel Planchet--MS66 NGC. 2.6 gm. Large S, one of two mintmark styles in use that year in San Francisco, along with the Knob S. The other known 1944-S steel cent is also the Large S variety. Within the past two years, Heritage has auctioned eight 1944-dated steel cents, three from the Philadelphia Mint and five from the Denver Mint. Among these lots, a 1944-D MS63 NGC realized $115,000 in lot 1583 of our 2007 Milwaukee ANA Signature, a 1944-D MS62 NGC brought $92,000 as lot 2715 of our 2008 FUN Signature, and an AU55 ANACS achieved $69,000 in our 2007 May Long Beach Signature. As impressive as those three prices realized are, remember that the present lot grades MS66, three points higher than the finest of the past lots. Also, those lots were 1944-D cents. The present off-metal cent is from the San Francisco Mint. A search of our online auction archives, which date to 1993, shows no steel 1944-S cents offered within that 15-year span. This is unsurprising, since David W. Lange states in his Complete Guide to Lincoln Cents (2006) that "the rarity of this issue is so great that it may be considered non-collectible in the practical sense. The only known specimen appeared as Lot 787 in Bowers & Ruddy Galleries' auction of January 25-27, 1983. It was graded XF and had been cleaned." That lot realized $5,390. The (6/08) online NGC Census data lists a grand total of seven 1944-dated steel cents, four 1944, two 1944-D, and one 1944-S, which grades XF and is presumably the same piece last auctioned in 1983 (the present piece was apparently certified too recently to appear in that Census). Among those, the two highest certified are an MS63 1944 and an MS63 1944-D. PCGS omits off-metal 1944-dated cents from its online population report. The Complete Guide to Lincoln Cents states that 27 1944 steel cents are confirmed and "no more than 10" 1944-D steel cents are known, in addition to the solitary cleaned XF 1944-S. It is logical that a greater number of steel 1944 Philadelphia cents are known than from the two branch mints, since the Philadelphia Mint struck 25 million Belgium two francs on the same zinc-coated steel alloy planchet type used for the 1943 cents, an economy measure to use leftover planchets from 1943. A two francs planchet could easily have wandered into the wrong bin, and would have made it through the riddlers because it had the expected diameter. According to David Lange, "Since the San Francisco Mint did not participate in producing the two francs coinage for Belgium, it must be assumed that this coin was the result of a planchet intended for 1943-S cent production finding its way accidentally between 1944-S dies." Under the steel 1944-D listing, he adds, "all of the 1944-D steel cents must have resulted from steel planchets adhering to the inside of tote bins during 1943 and being struck during 1944." A similar happenstance apparently caused the off metal 1943-dated bronze cents, which are perhaps even more famous than the 1944-dated steelies. Zinc-plated steel cents adhere to a magnet, which makes that non-destructive test essential for authentication of any steel cent. According to an October 1960 article in Numismatic Scrapbook, Richard Fenton was the first to discover a 1944-dated steel cent, circa 1945. He failed to report the find until a different example was published in the December 1956 Mint Error Collector Bulletin. Although other 1944 and 1944-D steel cents have emerged since, the only known 1944-S steel cent, until now, was the aforementioned XF example. The arrival of the present MS66 on the market is nothing short of remarkable. It is only the second known 1944-S steel cent, the only known Uncirculated 1944-S steel cent, and the finest certified of any 1944-dated steel cent, three grades ahead of any others seen by NGC. As expected of the MS66 grade, the present piece has booming luster. There are no visible marks or spots. The strike is very sharp. For pedigree purposes, we note a tiny area of russet granularity near the reverse rim at 3 o'clock. Light gold toning is present on the left reverse, and to a lesser extent on the left obverse field. Given the superlative quality and immense rarity of the present coin, the opportunity for the Lincoln cent specialist cannot be overemphasized.Coin Engraver: Victor D. BrennerShipping: Coins & Currency (view shipping information)Important notice: Heritage usually auctions material at the rate of 200-250 lots per hour. On some occasions eBay Live bid software or the Internet may not be able to keep up with the pace of the auction. We recommend placing a realistic absentee bid now as insurance to avoid disappointment. Occasionally the auctioneer may eliminate or reject an eBay Live bid, and the auctioneer may also reopen a lot after the close of the eBay live bidding (usually because we missed an audience bid), and may reject your bid even if it shows you as the winning bidder. By bidding via eBay Live, you agree that Heritage may award the lot to another bidder at its sole discretion under the circumstances described above or any other reasonable circumstances. Since eBay bids are not shown to us until we open the lot on the floor, we treat those bids just like floor bids. In most cases the floor responds before the eBay bid is presented to us, due to Internet lag time, so for consistency we have made it a policy that floor bids are always considered first over tie eBay live bids. Also please note that all Heritage lots purchased through eBay Live carry a 20% Buyer's Premium with a $9 minimum Buyer's Premium. Please make sure you read the Terms and Conditions before you bid. This lot is being auctioned in conjunction with a live floor auction by Heritage Auctions. All final auction and invoice information will be supplied by Heritage Auctions, and all other information should be considered preliminary. Lot:1560Winning Notification and Billing: After the FINAL session in this auction is complete, Heritage will send e-mail and snail mail invoices. This process normally takes several days. All final auction and invoice information will be supplied by Heritage Auctions, and all other information should be considered preliminary. Second Chance Offers: Heritage does not make Second Chance Offers. Once our auction ends, if you receive a Second Chance Offer to buy this item DO NOT accept the offer. Please forward any Second Chance offer emails received on one of our auctions to eBay's Safe Harbor Department. This auction will be conducted on a live auction floor and over the Internet through eBay Live. If you choose to place an absentee bid, please take a moment to learn how eBay Live absentee bidding works Auction House Info Heritage Auctions 3500 Maple Avenue 17th Floor Dallas, Texas 75219-3941, United States Tel: 214-528-3500 Fax: 214-443-8425 EMail: EbayLive@HeritageAuctions.com CLICK TO Ask a Question ABOUT THE LOT OR AUCTION FOR TECHNICAL SUPPORT CONTACT EBAY LIVE AUCTIONS Terms & Conditions Please view our complete Terms & Conditions at the following web address: http://www.heritageauctions.com/common/images/TermsAndConditions.pdf Auction House Heritage Auction Galleries3500 Maple Avenue17th FloorDallas, TX United States 75219800.872.6467Terms & Conditionshttp://ha.com/common/auction/terms_and_conditions.phpShippingBuyer Pays Shipping CostBuyer's PremiumUSD 0 - USD 999 20 %USD 1000 + 20 %PaymentContact For Payment DetailsTaxesLocal Taxes ApplyContractYour bid is a contract.Place a bid only if you're serious about buying the item. If you are the successful and winning bidder, you have entered into a legally binding contract to purchase the property bid on from the seller. You should contact the seller to resolve any questions before bidding.RegistrationBidders are required to:a) Sign up for this auction& b) Complete bidding approval formApproval is at the discretion of the Auction House.HelpHelp with biddingImages Auction services provided by LiveAuctioneers
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