1795 50C MS(PCGS#6052)

June 2022 U.S. Coins Auction

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

1301

等级

AU55

价格

152,873

详细说明

Significant 1795 O-119 Half Dollar Just Shy of Condition Census 1795 Flowing Hair Half Dollar. O-119, T-1. Rarity-3. Two Leaves. AU-55 (NGC). A high grade survivor of this otherwise frequently encountered die marriage for the 1795 Flowing Hair half dollar. Lightly toned in silver-gray, the obverse is enhanced by outlines of steely-olive iridescence to many of the design elements. The reverse is lighter overall in iridescent champagne-gold with reddish-rose highlights clinging to a few of the more protected areas. Softly frosted and pleasingly smooth, there are no handling marks of note. Faint adjustment marks around the reverse periphery are as made. The strike comes up short along the right obverse and reverse borders, but to no great detriment since otherwise the detail is impressively bold for a product of the early United States Mint. Tompkins Die Stage 4/2. Overton-119 represents the only use of both the obverse and reverse dies in the Flowing Hair half dollar series. The obverse is readily identifiable by the presence of a small die lump above star 15. On the reverse, the berries are arranged in the wreath nine left, nine right with a leaf touching the left base of the letter I in UNITED -- the only reverse of the issue with this feature. The same letter I is also repunched, as is the left base of the letter E in AMERICA, and there are prominent die lines from the tip of the eagle's left wing and the upper serif of the letter R in AMERICA. Tompkins 4/2, represented here, is the latest die state known, both sides with clash marks in the fields around the central devices. The obverse also exhibits a series of fine cracks: from the border through star 15 into the field toward Liberty's throat; from star 15 to the center of the digit 5 in the date; and from the border through the two lowest points of star 5. The reported mintage for half dollars during calendar year 1795 is 317,844 coins, all of which were delivered from February 4 to June 5 of that year in eight warrants. Since numismatic scholars believe that most (if not all) of the 18,164 examples delivered in Warrant No. 3 on February 4, 1795 were from 1794-dated dies, the mintage for the 1795-dated issue is usually given as 299,680 pieces. Steve M. Tompkins (2015) believes that O-119 was the first die marriage produced for the 1795 half dollar, "the reverse working die made from a Type II master hub/die, and most likely...a left over from 1794." If Tompkins' die emission sequence is correct, and despite its late die state, the offered coin was among the earliest 1795-dated half dollars struck. It was preserved after having seen minimal commercial use, perhaps intentionally, or more likely as a matter of chance. In either case it is rare high grade survivor that is only one grade removed from Condition Census ranking for the 1795 O-119 dies. An equally significant offering for advanced type collectors and early half dollar variety enthusiasts. PCGS# 6052. NGC ID: 24E7. Click here for certification details from NGC.