Rarely Offered Gem Uncirculated 1893-S Half Dollar
Pedigreed to the Dale Friend Registry Set
1893-S Barber Half Dollar. MS-65 (PCGS). CAC.
A leading condition rarity among the Barber half dollar offerings in the present sale, this amazing Gem offers superior technical quality and outstanding visual appeal. Virtually full striking detail is of note, even the most intricate design elements have bold, if not razor sharp definition. Lustrous with a predominantly satin finish from the dies, both sides are modestly semi-prooflike in the fields. Lightly and attractively toned with an overall pristine appearance, this coin will be perfect for a world class collection of Barber coinage. The San Francisco Mint produced 740,000 half dollars in 1893, the second year of the Barber series, representing a reduction of nearly 300,000 coins from the mintage for the 1892-S. Throughout the Barber series yearly half dollar production was a response to the needs of commerce, and examples were released into circulation on a routine basis in proportion to the call for them. The early San Francisco Mint issues in this series saw particularly heavy commercial use, which combined with the limited mintage explains why the 1893-S qualifies as a key date even in the lowest circulated grades. In Mint State this issue is one of the rarest of its type from the 1890s. Writing in the 2019 edition of his Guide Book of Barber Silver Coins, Q. David Bowers' comment about high grade half dollars from this era is brief and to the point: "With only a few exceptions, Barber half dollars of the 1890s are very difficult to find in gem preservation." The 1893-S is one of the leading rarities in this group at the certified MS-65 level, and the offered specimen is the kind of coin that would serve as a highlight in any advanced cabinet.
PCGS# 6467. NGC ID: 24LM.
PCGS Population: 6; 3 finer (MS-66 finest). CAC Stickered Population: 3; 0.
From the Srotag Collection. Earlier from Pinnacle Rarities, Inc.; Heritage's sale of the Dale Friend #2 All-Time PCGS Registry Set of Barber Half Dollars, January 2019 FUN Signature Auction, lot 3869; Heritage's sale of the Greensboro Collection, Part V, August 2015 Chicago ANA Signature Auction, lot 4071.