1866 $5 Motto MS(PCGS#8311)

1866 $5 Motto MS (PCGS#8311)

The March 2013 Baltimore Auction

详细说明: 1866 Liberty Half Eagle. Motto. MS-63 (NGC). Frosty and lustrous yellow-gold with some reflectivity in the fields, and with lively olive iridescence and bold mint bloom throughout. Sharply struck and devoid of all but some trivial marks, virtually all of which escape the unaided eye. From a mintage for the date -- the first in the design type -- of just 6,700 pieces, the lowest production figure of any of the three half eagle issues of the date, including the much vaunted 1866-S No Motto issue. A rare and elusive issue in any and all grades. The present specimen is the finest of just six Mint State examples of the date certified by NGC, a fact that speaks volumes about the rare nature of the date. Indeed, the last 1866 Motto half eagle we had the pleasure to offer was in our 2011 Chicago ANA Sale, lot 9434, which brought $3,450 though "only" AU-50 in grade. The present coin is, of course, far finer than that specimen; indeed, it is finer than any other certified example of the date from any major third-party grading service. For comparison, the PCGS website lists just two Mint State examples of the date, the finest of those MS-62. PCGS also suggests that fewer than 100 1866 Motto half eagles are known in all grades. Whether you specialize in Liberty half eagles or in rare U.S. gold in general, the present coin falls within your bailiwick. We suspect a round of lively bidding activity is in order when this rare bird takes flight.