1866 $5 Motto MS(PCGS#8311)

November 2020 U.S. Coins Auction

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

9185

Grade

AU58

Price

8,400

Lot Description

Highly Elusive 1866 Half Eagle First Year of the Motto Design Type 1866 Liberty Head Half Eagle. AU-58 (PCGS). CAC. A beautiful deep honey-rose half eagle that combines absolute scarcity and condition rarity. Sharply, if not fully defined over all design elements, plenty of frosty to modestly semi-reflective luster remains. The Philadelphia Mint's first Liberty Head half eagle with Motto, the 1866 is a leading rarity in its series. The mintage for this issue is just 6,700 circulation strikes, which is the lowest production figure of any of the three half eagles of the date. Indeed, the 1866 is rare and elusive in all grades with fewer than 100 examples extant per PCGS CoinFacts. Just a handful of Mint State pieces survive, creating strong market demand for premium Choice About Uncirculated examples like that offered here. PCGS Population: 6; 3 finer (MS-62 finest). PCGS# 8311. NGC ID: 25VZ. Click here for certification details from PCGS.