1856 1C Snow-1 "Tilted ONE CENT" Flying Eagle Cent PCGS PR64 (PHOTO SEAL/CAC)

Choice Proof (13: 3,5,5). Copper-nickel, Bronzed at the mint. The vary rare and desirable "Tilted ONECENT" die pairing. These are believed to be the first 1856 Flying Eagles struck. The reverse die shows the ONE CENT tilted inside the wreath. An obvious error that was corrected in all later dies. The die orientation shows the eagle flying upwards. Most of the Snow-1 die pair are found with a solid brown patina. This is one of the finest known examples. It has good mirrors. There are a few light marks here an there on the obverse, but overall it is very attractive.

Since there are very few Snow-1 1856's around, all known example have been traced. This one traces back to the A. Judson Brenner collection and was exhibited by him as a copper 1856 at the ANS 1914 exhibition. The first recent sale as in the Superior "Lee" sale 9/88:1837. It sold to Elliott Goldman at Allstate coin in Tucson. I was the numismatist there at the time. This coin was my first exposure to the 1856 Snow-1. At that time it was believed to be copper - the J-181. It sold to a local Tucson collection. It was sold in my first mail bid sale in 1993. It sold to a midwestern collector and when it came back on the market I bought it and sold it to Tom Fore, who ended up assembling the finest Flying Eagle variety set. It was tested as copper nickel at that time. It was one of the centerpiece coins in the Fore collection. My appraisal of Tom's collection had this coin valued at $75,000 in 2010. Tom tragically died in 2012 and his collection was promised to be marketed by me, as most had ben acquired though Eagle Eye. Such was not to be, as his wife passed away a few years later and such promises were not kept. Heritage sold Tom's collection in 2016. Many of the Tom Fore coins were purchased into the Wright Flyer collection at those sales.