1964 50C SMS SP(PCGS#6844)

The Regency Auction 44

拍卖行

Legend Rare Coin Auctions

批号

227

等级

SP67+

价格

629,815

详细说明

Legend Rare Coin Auctions is proud to offer this monumental, modern RARITY--one of the greatest non-error issues of the U.S. mint in the latter part of the 20th century. The greatness and intrigue of this spectacular RARITY comes from the mystery of its creation. The history begins in late 1963, after the assassination of President Kennedy. Officials at the mint rushed to create a numismatic tribute to the slain president, thus ending the Franklin half dollar and the beginning of the Kennedy half dollar. Since the Franklin half dollar had not been in use for the required 25 years, an act of Congress authorized the redesign. Indeed, just a few days after the events in Dallas, mint director Eva Adams had Gilroy Roberts, the Chief Engraver to prepare models depicting the popular, youthful president. In January 1964, the first J.F.K. halves were struck, amounting to a total production of over 429 million circulation strikes between Philadelphia and Denver and nearly four million Proofs. Somewhere along the line about a dozen Specimen strikings were produced. These are clearly different in style to either those struck for circulation or Proofs. The devices on these Specimens are sharply struck with exceptionally bold definition in the hair and the rims are high up and fully squared. The fields show extensive die polishing marks in the reverse fields. The obverse details include a small tine off the crossbar of the 4, a feature that has never been observed on any other 1964 half dollar, Mint State or Proof, showing that these dies were used for this small production and that is it. Whether these are die trials for the new design, or as a "bridge" to the Special Mint Set pieces struck 1965-67, we do not know for sure. The first example of these specially produced half dollars appeared in Stack's June 1991 auction, where a full 1964 set with special prepared dies was offered in lot 591. What is suspected is that these sets were made special for Eva Adams for distribution as gifts or for herself, and were sold to New York dealer Lester Merkin sometime shortly before her death in August 1991 and his in June 1992. The remaining sets that he had purchased were sold in Stack's auctions from 1991 to 1995; a total of 9 sets made their way into the market that way. Today, about a dozen Specimen 1964 half dollars are known, making this the RAREST of all JFK half dollars, and the rarest non-error modern coin of the U.S. series. This spectacular coin is one of the two graded SP67+ at PCGS, the same grade as the D. Brent Pogue Collection coin, and is the median grade for PCGS-graded specimens. The surfaces are brilliant with its unique satiny texture that sets these wonderful rarities apart from their Mint State and Proof counterparts. The eye appeal is exceptional, as evidenced by the QA GOLD sticker, which signifies the coin is undergraded in their opinion. There is a single minor mark on the ST of STATES, which will forever identify this important coin. PCGS 2, NGC 1.While the Pogue example sold in March 2020 for only $60,000, in the past couple of years, these have taken off, as Registry collectors have fiercely gone after the precious few that have appeared in auction. A PCGS SP67 sold in April 2019 for $108,000 and an SP68 sold in the 2019 ANA auction for $156,000. The current PCGS Price Guide value is listed at $115,000, and it would not shock us if this SUPERB coin brought that or more when the hammer falls. Cert. Number 38574690 PCGS # 6844.00