A Fr. 230 1899 Silver Certificate graded Superb Gem New 69PPQ by PCGS Currency is being offered by Teletrade in their upcoming auction ending on Monday, December 10, 2007. Not only is this the sole Fr. 230 and the only note of the "Black Eagle" Silver Certificate design type graded by PCGS Currency as "69PPQ," it is the first large size type note of any design to receive this grade from PCGS Currency.
"This magnificent note duly impressed every one of our graders who examined the note, and the grade of Superb Gem New 69PPQ was unanimous," stated Jason W. Bradford, President of PCGS Currency. "The centering and margins are nearly perfect, and the paper quality is tremendous without any noticeable handling or counting marks. The originality is unquestionable, as the bold embossing is evident to even the casual observer."
The "Black Eagle" Silver Certificate series of 1899 is one of the most popular U.S. Currency designs among collectors, and is one of the more commonly encountered large size notes found in Gem New condition. "Even 66PPQ and 67PPQ examples of this type are not rare," said Bradford, "and we even expect to see 68PPQs on occasion as this is not a rare note in lower Uncirculated grades. We were surprised, however, by the virtual perfection of this example. We felt that this note was the first we've seen of any large size type note in our first three years of grading to deserve the 69PPQ grade. We do not take our responsibility to award extremely high grades lightly, and this is the first we've seen that put our doubts and inquisitive eyes to the test."
According to PCGS Currency Vice President Laura A. Kessler, the "69PPQ" Silver Certificate was submitted for grading by an anonymous submitter and consigned to the Teletrade sale. "Our graders, of course, have no knowledge of the identity of the submitter when they examine a note. This note met every qualification of the grade as defined by the PCGS Currency Grading Standards, and even after close individual inspection by the required three professional graders everyone agreed upon the final grade. We were delighted to finally grade a large size type note this close to perfection. Once the grade was finalized and the note was holdered, the submitter was called and given the news-and they were understandably ecstatic."
The Superb Gem New 69PPQ Fr. 230 Black Eagle $1 Silver Certificate will be offered by Teletrade in their Internet auction closing on Monday, December 10, 2007. Their website can be reached at www.teletrade.com, and the note can be viewed by clicking here:
Information about PCGS Currency and their grading service can be found at www.PCGSCurrency.com, or via telephone at 1-800-447-8848. The Official PCGS Currency Grading Standards can be viewed by clicking here.