1850-O 50C MS(PCGS#6265)

The Summer 2022 Global Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

7056

等级

MS65

价格

99,284

详细说明

High Condition Census 1850-O Half Dollar 1850-O Liberty Seated Half Dollar. WB-3. Rarity-3. MS-65 (PCGS). CAC. An exceptionally well preserved, remarkably attractive condition rarity in an early date New Orleans Mint half dollar. Both sides exhibit full, intense mint luster beneath an overlay of vivid toning. Shades of silver-mauve, blue-gray and golden-apricot are all in evidence, and they deliver outstanding eye appeal. Fully struck with surfaces that border on pristine for the issue. The 1850-O is the final high mintage New Orleans Mint half dollar delivered before passage of the Act of February 21, 1853. With 2,456,000 pieces produced this is one of the most readily obtainable issues of the 1840 to 1850 era. Circulated survivors are plentiful in all grades up to and including AU, although premium examples in AU-55 and AU-58 are quite scarce. Given the absence of contemporary numismatic demand in the South, however, it is no surprise that this issue is very scarce in Mint State. The 1993 Wiley-Bugert rating at this level is Rarity-5-, and Q. David Bowers (2016) estimates that 65 to 85 coins are extant. In Gem MS-65 and finer the 1850-O is a landmark condition rarity. The Bowers estimate at this level is just three to five coins, which squares nicely with the combined CAC population in MS-65 and MS-66 of four examples. All four of these CAC-approved coins are traceable through modern auction appearances, and they constitute the upper half of Condition Census for this issue: -CC#1. MS-66+ (PCGS). CAC. Ex Heritage's Palm Beach, FL Signature Sale of November 2004, lot 7524 (as PCGS MS-66); Eugene H. Gardner; Heritage's sale of the Eugene H. Gardner Collection, Part III, New York Signature Auction, May 2015, lot 98470 (as PCGS MS-66); D.L. Hansen Collection. -CC#2. MS-66 (PCGS). CAC. OGH. Ex Heritage's' FUN Signature Auction of January 2006, lot 3193; Richard Jewell; our sale of the Richard Jewell Collection, August 2013 Chicago ANA Auction, lot 4140. -CC#3 (tie). MS-65 (PCGS). CAC. Ex Heritage's Long Beach Signature Auction of May 2008, lot 664; Heritage's FUN Signature Auction of January 2012, lot 3237; eBay, June 2012; Heritage's Summer FUN Signature Auction of July 2016, lot 3860; Legend Rare Coin Auctions' Regency Auction XXI, May 2017, lot 245; Rare Coin Wholesalers, April 2022; Narva River & Lake Balaton Collection. The present example. -CC#3 (tie). MS-65 (PCGS). CAC. Ex Heritage's Long Beach Signature Auction of June 2006, lot 1658; our sale of the Malibu Collection, November 2010 Baltimore Auction, lot 2008; Heritage's Beverly Hills Signature Auction of December 2018, lot 4175. The existence of these exceptional coins is clearly the result of early numismatic intent and not merely a matter of chance survival. Given the virtual lack of collectors in the Antebellum South and the lack of interest in mintmarked coinage among the few numismatists active in the Northeast before 1859, the exact circumstances under which a small number of 1850-O half dollars survived with such extraordinary quality and undeniable originality are unknown. They certainly point to a very rare chain of events for O-Mint Liberty Seated coins from the 1840 to 1850 era. A leading condition rarity among the Liberty Seated half dollar offerings in this sale, and a numismatic treasure from the pre-Civil War era New Orleans Mint. The WB-3 pairing represents the only use of these obverse and reverse dies. The obverse is particularly intriguing as the die was heavily rusted at the time of striking with numerous rust lumps scattered throughout Liberty's portrait. These are most pronounced on the neck, with others throughout the rock and even in isolated field areas at the upper and lower borders. Steel dies that were not properly packed and stored in grease would quickly rust in the humid environment of New Orleans. There are many varieties in the various Liberty Seated series where die rust lumps are prominent on one or both sides, and it is a feature that contributes to the charm and allure of early New Orleans Mint coinage. Provenance: Ex Heritage's Long Beach Signature Auction of May 2008, lot 664; Heritage's FUN Signature Auction of January 2012, lot 3237; eBay, June 2012; Heritage's Summer FUN Signature Auction of July 2016, lot 3860; Legend Rare Coin Auctions' Regency Auction XXI, May 2017, lot 245; Rare Coin Wholesalers, April 2022; Narva River & Lake Balaton Collection. PCGS Population: 5; 2 finer (MS-66+ finest). CAC Population: 2; 2. PCGS# 6265. NGC ID: 24HH. Click here for certification details from PCGS. Image with the PCGS TrueView logo is obtained from and is subject to a license agreement with Collectors Universe, Inc. and its divisions PCGS and PSA. Click here to see Coins in Motion.[“Coins]