1817 50C O-107 MS(PCGS#39499)

March 2018 Baltimore U.S. Coins Auction

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

3453

Grade

MS63

Price

6,600

Lot Description

Condition Census 1817 O-107 1817 Capped Bust Half Dollar. O-107. Rarity-3. MS-63 (NGC). Rich mint luster tumbles across the surfaces of this incredible Choice Mint State example, reminiscent of the Walking Liberty half dollars that would be produced a century later. The brilliant, snowy-white complexion allows ready appreciation of the unblemished surfaces throughout. A delightful satiny texture blankets the fields, while the devices are draped in a more matte-like frosting. The design elements are well pronounced and intricate despite evidence of a later die state, with Liberty's profile and the obverse stars razor sharp. A network of cracks connects the reverse legend, in addition to a break that protrudes from the border between CA and into the eagle's right wing. A modicum of softness seen at the eagle's head is typical for the marriage. This piece sits among the finest few survivors of the 1817 O-107 die marriage, tying for third place in the Condition Census along with the Newman specimen and just a couple others. The pinnacle of this roster is the Eliasberg example, previously graded MS-67 (NGC) and currently certified MS-65 (PCGS). A spectacular representative of both the die marriage and the overall 1817 issue. Provenance: From the Sutton Court Collection of Early Half Dollar Varieties. Earlier ex from our (Bowers and Merena's) sale of March 1987, lot 728. NGC Census: 2; 2 finer in MS-67. PCGS# 39499. Click here for certification details from NGC.