1815/2 50C Overton 101a MS(PCGS#39492)

November 2019 Baltimore U.S. Coins Auction

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

7126

等级

AU50

价格

54,863

详细说明

1815/2 Capped Bust Half Dollar. O-101a. Rarity-3. AU-50 (PCGS). Richly and vividly toned AU quality for this perennially popular key date issue in the Capped Bust half dollar series. Both sides are awash in dominant steel-olive and copper-gray patina, although target-like undertones of vivid reddish-orange, antique gold and cobalt blue are readily evident at most viewing angles. Well centered in strike with overall bold detail and plenty of lively mint luster remaining, this smooth and inviting coin is sure to sell for a strong bid. The War of 1812 and, especially, the associated British burning of Washington, D.C. on August 24, 1814, caused considerable economic upheaval in the United States. Coins were hoarded by an uncertain public and, with no silver bullion being deposited in the Mint, half dollar coinage came to a halt in late 1814 and early 1815. The official end of the war came on December 24, 1814 with the signing of the Treaty of Ghent, although it did not come into effect for the United States until ratified by the Senate on February 17, 1815. By the end of that year, the economic situation had stabilized to the point where silver deposits once again began arriving at the Mint. The half dollar was the most popular denomination with contemporary bullion depositors, although the Mint was caught unprepared by the renewed demand and did not have any 1815-dated dies on hand. To allow coinage to resume as soon as possible, Mint employees retrieved an unused 1812-dated die, punched a 5 over the 2, and used this obverse to strike approximately 47,150 1815/2 half dollars. Overton-101 is the only known die marriage of this issue, although it comes in early and late states, the latter identifiable by peripheral die cracks on the reverse, as here. While enough examples of both the O-101 and O-101a die states have survived to make both varieties readily obtainable, the lack of any other die marriages means that the 1815/2 is scarce compared to all other dates in the Capped Bust half dollar series. Given the popularity of this type among date and variety collectors alike, competition remains strong for attractive examples at all levels of preservation. Provenance: From the E. Horatio Morgan Collection. Acquired from Sheridan Downey, January 1991. PCGS# 39492. NGC ID: 24F5. Click here for certification details from PCGS.