1862 $5 MS(PCGS#8292)

Spring 2025 Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

3146

Grade

AU53

Price

10,200

Lot Description

An outstanding rarity that is sure to excite advanced collectors specializing in Liberty Head gold coinage. Vivid orange-honey color is enhanced by tinges of pinkish-apricot iridescence. The texture is soft and frosty, and the strike is sharp throughout. An appealing About Uncirculated survivor of this key date half eagle issue.<p>The suspension of gold specie payments by Eastern banks in December 1861 resulted in an immediate reduction in half eagle output at the Philadelphia Mint. Whereas the facility delivered a record (for the era) total of 688,084 circulation strikes in 1861, the mintage for the 1862 is just 4,430 pieces. The 1862 is a highly elusive issue with <em>PCGS CoinFacts</em>s estimating that fewer than 100 coins are extant in all grades. Particularly rare in Mint State, the significance of this attractive AU-53 cannot be overstated.