1863-S $5 MS(PCGS#8295)

The June 2011 Baltimore Auction

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

9489

等级

AU58

价格

167,645

详细说明

1863-S Liberty Half Eagle. AU-58+ (NGC). 1899 Liberty Half Eagle. MS-67 (NGC). Blame for the paucity of 1863-S half eagles in numismatic circles can be laid squarely at the feet of widespread circulation during the Frontier era. Even more so than a limited mintage of 17,000 piece, commercial use explains not only why so few 1863-S fives have survived, but also why the issue is an extreme condition rarity in Mint State. There was essentially no numismatic interest in these coins when they were produced, and what few high grade coins have survived did so purely as a matter of chance. (Even low grade "circs" survived largely by accident, or else they were retrieved from commerce in later years.) The current online version of <em>The PCGS Population Report </em>estimates that only 60-75 examples of this issue have survived in all grades, and a lone MS-61 on that report constitutes the entire Mint State population known to numismatists. Even the Smithsonian Institution specimen is a well worn Choice VF.<br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Finest certified for the 1863-S half eagle at NGC, and Condition Census #2 after the aforementioned PCGS MS-61, this delightful pinkish-gold example is just a whisper away from full Mint State. We note an impressively sharp strike to both sides, as well as a bright satin to semi prooflike finish that is vibrant at all angles. Essentially free of wear, a bit of light scuffing in the obverse field may be the only impediment to a BU rating. There are no sizeable or otherwise individually distracting abrasions in evidence.