1838 50C J-72 PR(PCGS#11282)

Summer 2025 Global Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

6559

Grade

PR58

Price

2,640

Lot Description

Medallic alignment. <strong>Obv:</strong> By William Kneass. A bust of Liberty faces left with a sunburst on her tiara, raised LIBERTY on her hair ribbon and brooch at shoulder. Thirteen stars are arranged around the border seven left, six right, with the date 1838 below. <strong>Rev:</strong> By Christian Gobrecht. Fanciful small eagle clutches an olive branch in its right talon and a group of four arrows in its left talon. The legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is around the border and the denomination HALF DOLLAR below. Deeply toned in steely charcoal-gray with light high point rub to generally sharp motifs. The <em>uspatterns.com</em> website notes the following for Judd-72:<p><em>These supposedly exist as both originals and restrikes. Originals should have been struck from unrusted dies, weigh 206 grains and have 143 reeds around the edge. Restrikes were made throughout the 1840s possibly into the early 1870s. As these dies were used over a long period of time, specimens show varying degrees of repolishing and/or die rust. Those made after 1853 should weigh 192 grains. Reed counts may vary on these and thus could possibly be used to determine what year a given piece was struck. </em><em>The fact that the original Mint collection does not contain an example may also be significant as this pattern would have been produced at the initial formation of the collection and likely would have been included if any were actually struck in 1838.</em><p>Of the 50 to 60 specimens of Judd-72 known, virtually all were struck in medallic alignment, as here.