1898-S 50C MS(PCGS#6482)

February 2025 Showcase Auction - U.S. Coins

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

1088

Grade

MS65

Price

4,800

Lot Description

The 1898-S has a below average rate of survival for a San Francisco Mint Barber half dollar from the 1890s, especially given its mintage of 2,358,550 coins. In addition to domestic circulation, which was extensive, many examples were shipped to the Philippine Islands after the Spanish-American War ended in the summer of that year. Such use further diminished the number of coins that could be preserved in Mint State. Additional half dollars from the 1899-S and 1900-S issues were also sent to the Philippines, David Lawrence (1991) noting that the 1898-S is the scarcest of these three issues. The present offering is for a condition rarity Gem Mint State survivor that offers sharp striking detail and brilliant frosty luster.