1859-S Liberty Head Half Eagle. AU-55 (PCGS). CAC.
Fully original, both sides exhibit warm honey-orange color. The luster is richly frosted and sufficiently full for the assigned grade, and the strike is sharp apart from some characteristic (for the type) softness to the central high points. There are no singularly distracting marks, and certainly none that would concern even the most discerning of gold enthusiasts. When it comes to extant examples rarity is the order of the day for this early San Francisco Mint gold issue. The mintage is just 13,220 pieces, virtually all of which rapidly entered commercial channels in the gold- and silver-intensive economy of the American West. Fewer than 100 examples survived the rigors of circulation (per PCGS CoinFacts ), the vast majority of which are well worn, if not also impaired. Mint State survivors are exceedingly rare, not surprisingly since there was absolutely no contemporary numismatic interest in mintmarked coinage, and especially not on the West Coast. Even the National Numismatic Collection in the Smithsonian Institution has just an AU-50 for this conditionally challenged issue. Clearly this premium Choice AU with CAC approval ranks among the finest obtainable for the elusive and challenging 1859-S half eagle.
PCGS# 8283. NGC ID: 25VE.
PCGS Population: 6; 8 finer, just four of which are Mint State (MS-63 finest). CAC Population: 4 in all AU grades.
From the Fairmont Collection - JBR Set.