A second specimen of P1601, the copper die trial of an 1876CC dime is now confirmed. The upcoming 2000 FUN sale will include a specimen as part of the G.H. Wolfe collection of pattern dimes. This coin, a cleaned example, is believed to be ex Newcomer, Boyd, Farouk lot 1967, Merkin 9/67 sale lot 534 and was purchased by Mr. Wolfe from David Bullowa in 1972. It has been cleaned and lacquered. To see an image of the coin, click here.

The other specimen last appeared as lot 286 of Stack's 9/94 sale and appears to be a nicer coin. It sold for $11,000. It was previously in Bowers and Merena's 4/83 sale as lot 2426 and earlier was offered in the 44th and 46th editions of Bowers and Ruddy's Rare Coin Review. It was graded as choice uncirculated in the Stack's sale.

A nickel specimen, P1602, is also known to exist. It is ex 1892 Woodside sale lot 318 with one of the above copper coins (probably the Farouk coin), Wayte Raymond's 2/42 sale as lot 16, B. Max Mehl's Olsen sale as lot 372A, New Netherlands, Kagins 11/71 lot 1208 and finally in the mint error section of the 1993 ANA sale as lot 8008. It is very weakly struck apparently on a three cent nickel planchet.

It appears likely that all three of these pieces were made at the Philadelphia mint as fantasy pieces for a collector's cabinet. It is interesting to note that the nickel and Stacks 9/94 copper specimens were described as business strikes whereas the upcoming Wolfe coin was graded as a proof in the Merkin sale.

There is also at least one silver example which has been described and encapsulated as a branch mint proof. The coin, ex Kagins 11/71 lot 1207, Stacks 9/83 lot 677, last appeared in Superior's 3/00 and 6/00 sales and was in Jay Parrino's inventory. I have also seen the James A. Stack example which was also fully prooflike and may also be a branch mint proof. Were all of these coins struck from the same set of dies ?

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The coin realized $16,100.