O-101. This is one of the highlights of the present sale, a perfect collector grade example of this first year of issue of the half dollar denomination. Rich dove gray shows soft accents of pewter and russet-tan on the reliefs. Smooth problem free circulation on both sides. Even under strong magnification, the surfaces are free of any serious marks, signs of cleaning, environmental damage or any other post minting flaws, though we do note some very faint traces of the lightest planchet adjustment marks made at the mint, but these are limited to the extreme lower right periphery. The eye appeal is very high end for the grade, and we have seen XF40s that do not have the outstanding visual allure that this totally original "gem" VF has. PCGS 24, NGC 18, CAC 10. The last PCGS/CAC example sold back in November 2012 for $28,175. More recently an NGC/CAC coin sold for $24,675 in the 2017 ANA auction. Clearly the current Collectors Universe value of $22,500 does not take into account the high end quality of this one. Cert. Number 35100729 PCGS # 6051