1856 1C Snow-5 Flying Eagle Cent NGC PR65* (PHOTO SEAL)

Gem Proof (14: 4,5,5). This is the very scarce Snow-5 die pair which is die pair-linked to the early striking period in 1856. There are only 15 examples known and this is one of the top ones. The suraces are well-mirrored with die striations on both sides. This is seen on all examples that have survived in top condition. There is a debris strike-through near the rim at 7:00 which serves to easily plate-match this coin with past auction sales. Although a debris strike-through is not a grade-limiting artifact, it is the only reason I see that the coin is not a PR66. 

The Snow-5 die pair is the earliest die state of both dies. This puts the striking period in 1856 and this limited striking is unlike the MS examples which were struck as a demonstration mintage. This is obviously part of a special presentation mintage. Perhaps even President Franklin Pierce got one of these! 

 The top example is the Alan Epstein coin which is in a PCGS MS66 holder and sold for over $300K back to Epstein last year. The second finest is the Tom Fore PCGS PR66 and is now impounded in the Tyrant collection - the world's top private collection of US and World coins. There are 5 examples graded PR65 - 3 PCGS and 2 NGC, and this is one of the best. It was in a old green-label PCGS holder when it last appeared at auction (HA 9/04:5136) in 2004. It is now in a NGC-star holder. It could easily go back to PCGS at the PR65 grade if desired. The Snow-5 attribution is not on the NGC label, but it is registered as an S5 in the PhotoSeal database and stickered with the die pair on the holder. The remaining 8 examples range from PR64 to PR58.