1945 50C MS(PCGS#6624)

June 2025 Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

2187

Grade

MS68

Price

49,200

Lot Description

Otherwise golden-tinged surfaces display splashes of iridescent multicolored patina here and there around the peripheries on both sides. This is a boldly struck coin with outstanding satin to softly frosted luster. But, what truly sets it apart from the typical 1945 half dollar offered in today's market is the virtually pristine appearance to both sides. At the threshold of numismatic perfection, this Ultra Gem would serve as a highlight in the finest Walking Liberty half dollar set.<p>Struck during the final year of World War II, the 1945 is the last of the high mintage half dollar issues in the Walking Liberty "short set" of 1941 to 1947. The 31.5 million-piece issue has provided an abundance of Mint State coins, and even more selective numismatists should be able to procure an attractive MS-67 with a modicum of patience. This issue is a noteworthy rarity in PCGS MS-67+, while in PCGS MS-68 the outstanding coin offered here is matched by only one other example in our archives, both of which are unsurpassed in grade at PCGS. (The other PCGS MS-68 in our archives realized $66,000 in our June 2021 sale of the Lulu Collection, the #1 all-time finest PCGS Walking Liberty Half Dollars Short Set, lot 2062.) Surely destined for inclusion in a world class Walking Liberty half dollar collection on the PCGS Set Registry.