1851 $5 MS(PCGS#8246)

March 2021 U.S. Coins Auction

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

5904

Grade

MS63

Price

6,900

Lot Description

1851 Liberty Head Half Eagle. MS-63 (NGC). Here is an attractive and seldom offered Choice Uncirculated example of this underappreciated No Motto Liberty Head half eagle. Satiny pinkish-gold surfaces are boldly to sharply struck throughout with a very smooth appearance. At first glance, the 1851 half eagle should be common given its substantial mintage of 377,505 pieces. As a workhorse denomination, the coins entered commerce, escaping numismatic notice at a time when collectors were not interested in circulation strike coinage. Most surviving examples are found in the higher circulated grade levels, and only seldom in Mint State. Half eagle enthusiasts would do well to take notice, as this is a vastly underrated and often overlooked issue, especially in the finer Uncirculated grades, as here. A hidden treasure in superior preservation. Provenance: From the Steve Studer Collection. NGC Census: 11; 4 finer (MS-65 finest). PCGS# 8246. NGC ID: 25U5. Click here for certification details from NGC.