Pre-Long Beach Auction #84

1804 S-266b R5 F15. Sharpness close to VF20 but there is extremely faint roughness hidden under the mostly glossy medium chocolate and light olive brown toning. No verdigris, and the only marks are an area of slightly darker chocolate brown toning in the field before the neck and a long diagonal nick in the field off the chin. Nice eye appeal in spite of the imperfect surfaces. Rare M-LDS, Breen state III, with a cud break at RTY but no cud at MERIC. Only a few higher-grade examples are known in this rare intermediate die state.
Estimated Value $500-UP.
Ex 2008 EAC Sale, McCawley & Grellman Auctions 5/10/2008:376-Daniel W. Holmes, Jr., McCawley & Grellman Auctions/Goldbergs 9/6/2009:530.