1857 1/2 C C-1, B-1, SP65 Red and Brown PCGS

1857 1/2 C C-1, B-1, SP65 Red and Brown PCGS. R. Tettenhorst (Bernard Edison) of St. Louis, Missouri acquired this beautiful piece in 1970 as a proof and it is recorded in the proof census for the variety in Breen's Half Cent Encyclopedia where it is also the plate coin. Nearly full mint red remains on the very reflective watery surfaces of this lovely piece that shows splashes of blue and violet on the obverse and chocolate-brown on the reverse. the obverse stars are without question of proof striking and show full detail far superior than a business strike. The curls are of absolute perfection with nothing but sharpness of an absolute proof striking. This is the only Braided Hair half cent of any date or variety that PCGS has certified as a Specimen (5/25). Clearly PCGS believes that it is definitely different than any circulation strike they have examined.