1837 $5 MS65 PCGS. CAC....

Description

Original 1837 Half Eagle, MS65
High in the PCGS Condition Census
For the Date and Type

1837 $5 MS65 PCGS. CAC. Large Date, Large 5, Breen-6512, McCloskey 2-B, R.3. The present 1837 Classic Head half eagle, like its quarter eagle counterpart in this same sale in MS64, boasts phenomenal original "skin" of a quality seen far too seldom. The surfaces on this orange-gold Gem, certified in an old-style PCGS green-label holder, are frosty and completely unimpaired. To mention any sign of contact would be to overemphasize its importance. Minor rim crumbling appears on the reverse at 7:30 and 10 o'clock, as made.
This coin is of the Large (or Wide) Date, Block 8 style, with the lower loop of the 8 slightly smaller than the top loop; on the Small (or Close) Date, Script 8 coins of this year, the lower loop is larger than the top loop. The 7 in the date is entirely under the lowest hair curl, but the 3 is entirely to its left. There is a single forelock. On the reverse there are three vertical lines in each shield stripe. The 5 in the denomination, which shows double-punching on its flag, is about halfway under the arrow feathers. UNITED is well-spaced, but STATES shows greater distance between TA and AT than the remaining pairs, and the last S is noticeably low. The lower left base of the first A in AMERICA touches the wing, and the last A is free of the arrowheads.
While this is a relatively available die pairing, in the Gem grade of the present coin, any Classic Head half eagle is extremely rare. PCGS has certified only eight examples of the entire type at the MS65 level. For the 1837 issue per se, PCGS has certified the present coin as the sole Gem, exceeded by only two pieces in MS66 (3/10). This coin is high within the Condition Census at PCGS for both the date and type. Opportunities to acquire such outstanding quality are fleeting. Collectors must seize the day when they arise.(Registry values: P1)

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 25RZ, PCGS# 8175, Greysheet# 8866)

Weight: 8.36 grams

Metal: 90% Gold, 10% Copper

Note for clients in the European Union: This lot is considered by the European Union to be “investment gold”. We believe that it meets the criteria established in Article 344(1), point (2) of Council Directive 2006/112/EC and thus should be exempt from import VAT regardless of the selling price. Any questions or concerns about VAT should be addressed to your accountant or local tax authority.

View Certification Details from PCGS