SOLVING THE ORIGIN OF THE HARD X-RAY EXCESS IN THE SEYFERT 1 1H 0419-577 A KEY ISSUE IN THE STUDY OF ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI IS THE ORIGIN OF THE HARD X-RAY EXCESS. A RECENT STUDY WITH SUZAKU (TATUM ET AL. 2013 APJ 762 80) REVEALED THAT A MAJORITY OF NEARBY TYPE I AGN SHOW A STRONG HARD X-RAY EXCESS REQUIRING THEY ARE COVERED BY COMPTON THICK MATTER IN CONTRAST TO WHAT IS PREDICTED IN AGN UNIFIED MODELS. HERE WE PROPOSE A 150 KS NUSTAR OBSERVATION OF THE LUMINOUS SEYFERT 1 GALAXY 1H 0419-577 ONE OF THE FIRST AGN WHERE AN UNUSUALLY STRONG HARD EXCESS WAS REPORTED. WE WILL UNEQUIVOCALLY DETERMINE THE ORIGIN OF THE HARD EXCESS I.E. WHETHER THE AGN IS COVERED BY COMPTON THICK MATTER OVER A SUBSTANTIAL FRACTION OF SIGHT-LINES OR IF INSTEAD RELATIVISTICALLY BLURRED DISC REFLECTION OR TWO PHASE DISC COMPTONIZATION CAN ACCOUNT FOR THE HARD EXCESS. THE OBSERVATION WILL BE KEY TO TESTING THE VALIDITY OF THE UNIFIED OBSCURATION MODEL IN AGN AND THE TRUE FORM OF THE X-RAY CONTINUUM PRODUCED FROM CLOSE TO THE CENTRAL BLACK HOLE.