1912 $5 MS(PCGS#8523)

The November 2011 Baltimore Auction

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

9633

等级

MS66

价格

129,854

详细说明

1912 Indian Half Eagle. MS-66 (NGC). A boldly lustrous honey gold&nbsp;Gem with exceptional eye appeal, and as nice as you will find for the date in a NGC holder. Struck in the year that Arizona and New Mexico were admitted to the Union, and lovingly preserved since that time.&nbsp;Within the Indian half eagle series, any date called MS-65 can be considered a <em>condition rarity, </em>and at MS-66, as here, you have pretty much reached the zenith of obtainability -- just 57 examples,&nbsp;comprising <em>all dates </em>in the design type, have been called MS-66, as here, and only 14 examples have been graded finer than MS-66 by NGC among all dates. A golden opportunity for those who appreciate fine coins.<br /> <br /> <strong>Numismatic Reflections by Q. David Bowers</strong><br /> In 1912 there was virtually no numismatic interest in current circulation strikes of gold coins. Any demand was filled by sandblast proofs, produced in low mintages, and rare today. It was not until the 1950s and the popularity of the writings of Walter Breen that it was widely appreciated that proof was not a <em>better</em> grade than Mint State, but represented a <em>different manufacturing format</em>. After that time, it was widely recognized that there were many issues in the various denominations for which proofs are readily available and Mint State pieces are rarities, and vice versa. As numismatists became more fascinated with acquiring coins in the highest grade possible, it was further realized that Gems such as the presently-offered coins were indeed scarce, even rare.