1859-O 25C MS(PCGS#5449)

June 2018 Baltimore U.S. Coins Auction

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

1315

Grade

MS62

Price

4,680

Lot Description

1859-O Liberty Seated Quarter. Briggs 1-A. MS-62 (PCGS). This 1859-O half dollar is a significant condition rarity for an underrated pre-Civil War issue from the New Orleans Mint. Lightly toned in mottled silver-apricot iridescence, both sides are generally sharp in strike and have a soft satin texture to the luster. The appearance is quite smooth for the assigned grade. The 1859-O has a respectable mintage (for its era) of 260,000 pieces, and circulated examples are readily obtainable in grades short of AU. As with many mintmarked Liberty Seated quarters, however, the rarity of the 1859-O in Mint State is not widely recognized in today's market. Writing in the 1991 reference The Comprehensive Encyclopedia of United States Liberty Seated Quarters, Larry Briggs assigns a Rarity-6+ rating to Uncirculated survivors. A find for the astute specialist in Liberty Seated or New Orleans Mint coinage. PCGS Population: 2; 7 finer (MS-65 finest). PCGS# 5449. NGC ID: 23TM. Click here for certification details from PCGS.