Liberty Head Half Eagle

1858 Liberty Head Half Eagle. AU-58 (PCGS). CAC.

Lovely pinkish-honey surfaces are near-fully lustrous with most design elements sharply rendered and crisp. One of only 15,136 Philadelphia Mint half eagles of the date produced -- the mintage for eagles of this date was just 2,521 pieces, as Philadelphia's coinage presses were kept busy in this year churning out 211,714 double eagles. The 1858 inaugurates a run of low mintage fives from the parent mint that continues through 1860, and market appearances are few and far between. Prior to 2020, we last offered a circulation strike 1858 half eagle in 2013, in fact, the intervening seven years seeing several examples of the 1858-C, 1858-D and 1858-S pass through our sales. Clearly this is an underrated issue relative to the more highly regarded mintmarked issues of its era, the Fairmont specimen offered here representing a fleeting bidding opportunity for the astute gold collector.

PCGS# 8276. NGC ID: 25V7.

PCGS Population: 3; 12 finer (MS-64+ finest).

From the Fairmont Collection.

Estimate: $ 1800