1895-O 50C MS(PCGS#6472)

December 2020 U.S. Coins Auction

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

1379

等级

MS67

价格

117,975

详细说明

Incredible Superb Gem 1895-O Half Dollar 1895-O Barber Half Dollar. MS-67 (NGC). Tied for finest certified 1895-O half dollars known to PCGS and NGC, this remarkable condition rarity is as lustrous and smooth as the day it emerged from the dies 125 years ago. The finish is frosty, and the surfaces are brilliant apart from mottled swirls of russet patina around the peripheries. The toning is most prominent on the obverse, including a toning spot on the rim outside the letter O in GOD that serves as a useful provenance marker. The 1895-O is an anomaly among 1890s Barber half dollars from the New Orleans Mint in that, per Q. David Bowers (2019), most Mint State examples are overall sharply struck. The present example is no exception, the strike is razor sharp to full apart from a touch of trivial softness to stars 11 to 13 on the obverse and the eagle's left talon on the reverse. Opinions differ, however, with David Lawrence (1991) writing that the 1895-O as an issue shows a "typical O-mint strike" and that "well struck coins are worth a premium." Regardless, we have handled few other 1895-O half dollars whose overall quality even approaches this Condition Census Superb Gem. This impressive coin is from a mintage of 1,766,000 pieces, most survivors of which are in heavily circulated grades such as Good and VG. Even lower quality Mint State examples are scarce, while regarding coins grading MS-65 and finer Dave Bowers writes: "Rare at this level and seldom seen in auctions or otherwise." Clearly this offering from the remarkable Larry H. Miller Collection represents an important bidding opportunity for advanced collectors. Provenance: From the Larry H. Miller Collection. NGC Census: 2; 0 finer. The corresponding PCGS Population is also 2/0. PCGS# 6472. NGC ID: 24LT. Click here for certification details from NGC.