1856-S $5 MS(PCGS#8270)

1856-S $5 MS (PCGS#8270)

Winter 2022 U.S. Coins Auction

Description du lot: 1856-S Liberty Head Half Eagle. AU-55 (PCGS). Beautiful honey-rose and deep olive surfaces with abundant luster in a soft satin to frosty texture. Striking detail is razor sharp in virtually all areas, and the in hand appearance is uncommonly smooth for both the issue and the assigned grade. Due to distrust of paper money, gold coins were the workhorse medium of exchange in the Old West during the immediate pre-Civil War era, as well as during the following decades through the closing of the frontier in 1890. The entirety of the 105,100 mintage of 1856-S half eagles immediately entered circulation with little notice and went to work helping to make a dent in the enormous demand for lower denomination gold coins. And stay there they did - the half eagle denomination had long been popular in commerce throughout the United States and especially so in California. In all degrees of preservation, the issue is notably scarce: PCGS CoinFactsestimates that 225 examples exist in all grades. Of those, the typically offered grades are VF to low end AU. For the Western Americana specialist, here is an important opportunity to add a premium Choice About Uncirculated survivor of a historic and underappreciated issue. Provenance: From the Fairmont Collection - CBL Set. PCGS# 8270. NGC ID: 25UZ. Click here for certification details from PCGS.