When reviewing upcoming auctions, one of the things we like to look for are the more unusual items, the coins that surprise you and say “I didn’t know that!”

In the upcoming Heritage Signature Sale of The Ellsworth Collection (May 29th) we found the following 1795 Double Error Half Cent.

Below is the auction catalog Description:

This is a stunning and spectacular double error, either of which would be extremely important in its own right. The substantial curved clip is positioned at 4 o’clock. This clip is larger than any we recall seeing on a half cent of any date, let alone this 18th century date. Similarly, the off-center strike, positioned to 9 o’clock, is further off-center than we recall on any other examples. The combination is nothing short of amazing.

Any combination of two or more error types on a single coin essentially makes that coin unique. It is completely unreasonable to think that another identical error combination could have been produced, unless someone at the Mint was making these intentionally, and during the 1790s, that was probably not the case.

The surfaces are lightly corroded. The obverse has charcoal-brown and deep green color, with mostly deep green on the reverse. A few old obverse scratches are so nicely blended with the rest of the coin that they are not immediately obvious. EAC 12.