1805/4 50C O-101 MS(PCGS#39290)

The Regency Auction 47

Auctioneer

Legend Rare Coin Auctions

Lot Number

18

Grade

MS62

Price

79,313

Lot Description

An exceptionally CHOICE and HIGH END Condition Census O-101, the THIRD FINEST KNOWN, and second highest graded at PCGS. Pearlescent, satiny brilliant underlying luster glows under a layer of richly toned and totally original surfaces. Iridescent lilac, rose, and gold are suffused over the the soft gray undertone. This is not a lackluster coin or AU58 housed in a Mint State holder, this coin is all there and then some. The strike is sharp with crisp hair and feather details. Only a touch of the slightest weakness, typical of the type are noted in spots, but the major design elements are exacting in their definition. There are no serious marks, lines, or ticks noted anywhere, even with the aid of a strong glass. One of the most popular collecting areas of the entire early half dollar series, (and all early series) are the overdates. While overdates exist since 1796 for the half dime and half eagle denominations, the first half dollar overdate was not struck until 1805. On the O-101 the underlying 4 is bold and crisp. Two distinct 1804 obverses were prepared, but unused, as no 1804 half dollars were coined. These were then repunched with a 5, creating the 5/4, with little to no effort made to remove the 4. The O-101 and O-102 are listed as Rarity-3, while the O-103 is a rarity with several distinctive and collectible die states. The finest known 1805/4 O-101 are as follows: 1. PCGS MS65. Louise E. Eliasberg Collection; Bowers & Merena's sale of the Eliasberg Collection, April 1997, lot 1681; Heritage, August 1998, lot 6598; Stack's Bowers/Sotheby's Sale of the D. Brent Pogue Collection, Part I, May 2015, lot 1109. 2. NGC MS65 CAC. Col. E.H.R. Green Collection; Col. Green Estate; St. Louis Stamp & Coin (B.G. Johnson and Eric P. Newman partnership); Eric Newman Collection; Eric P. Newman Educational Society, Heritage, November 2013, lot 33423; Oliver Jung Collection; Heritage August 2014, lot 5583; "An Important New York Collection", Heritage, June 2018, lot 3949; Jim O'Neal Collection, Heritage, April 2019, lot 3719. 3. PCGS MS62 CAC- the present coin. Ex. Stack's March 1998, lot 487; Eugene Gardner Collection, Part II, Heritage, October 2014, lot 98462; Dr. Charles Link Collection; to our consignor. PCGS 1, NGC 0, CAC 1. This coin sold for $70,500 nearly seven years ago. Today the published Price Guides are priced at $80,000 and $82,500 (PCGS and CAC CPG respectively). The MS65 Eliasberg/Pogue example realized $111,625 in May 2015. This CONDITION CENSUS overdate will be a focal point of any Mint State Draped Bust, Large Eagle half dollar collection, and will see very strong bidding for sure. Cert. Number 6564972 PCGS # 6070.00