1864 OC-P1

1864 OC-P1 Original Proof

Die Pair	P1 - 1863 PA
Date Grid	JL of RE / 5-4.0 / S down
Obverse Die States	a

Estimated Rarity	R4
1, 4 Vertical	VSH, SL
Reverse Die States	a

Comments: This is the first of two uses of Obverse P1 and the first of two uses of Reverse 1863 PA in 1864.
Reverse 1863 PA is transitional, first used in 1863 to strike proof die marriage OC-P1.

Obverse P1
Obverse P1 displays no notable die markers, but the date position should be sufficient for attribution. The right base of the 1 lines up just left of the right edge of the denticle, the only such die in 1864. The following photo shows the attribution grid.

Obverse P1 attribution grid

Obverse P1 Die States

Perfect die.

No later die states have been observed.

Reverse 1863 PA
Reverse 1863 PA shows little in the way of die markers. Some minor extensions of the shield lines, shown in the photo below, are the best we could find. The lowest horizontal shield line extends across the left shield border into the feathers. Compare to Reverse 1863 PB, where 1-3 extends to horizontal line 5 and the lowest horizontal shield line extends across the left shield border but not into the feathers.

Reverse 1863 PA shield line extensions

Reverse 1863 PA Die States

Perfect die.

No later die states have been observed. Examples of this die marriage usually exhibit a die rotation of 5-15 degrees counterclockwise, although we’ve seen a small number of examples with no rotation.

Photo credits:

Obverse P1: 1864 NGC PR60, from the Osburn-Cushing reference collection.
Reverse PA: 1863 PCGS PR63, from the Osburn-Cushing reference collection.