1852 $50 RE Humbert Fifty Dollar, 887 Thous. AU55 NGC....

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1852 Humbert Fifty, 887 Thous., K-11, R.5, Choice AU

1852 $50 RE Humbert Fifty Dollar, 887 Thous. AU55 NGC. K-11, R.5. While the 1851 Humbert 887 THOUS pieces are found in both Lettered Edge (date on edge) and Reeded Edge formats, all of the 1852-dated 887 THOUS Humbert fifty dollar pieces are of the Reeded Edge subtype. The replacement of the cumbersome, manual-labor-intensive Lettered Edge with the Reeded Edge not only enabled greater production efficiencies, it also served as an increased deterrent against "shaving" of the coins by the unscrupulous.
Few of the large, soft, heavy gold coins were saved from circulation, however: Most of the settlers in the West at the time could ill afford to tie up fifty dollars for posterity. Those coins that did circulate--the great majority--due to their weight and size were often dropped onto their corners, resulting in numerous rim bumps that, if severe enough, can prevent their certification as problem-free examples.
For the many collectors desiring to obtain a nice certified example of these largest, most impressive, and most unusual-shaped of Territorial gold coins, a piece in Choice AU, such as the present specimen, or AU58 is about the finest quality practically obtainable. NGC has certified only six specimens of this issue in Mint State, compared with 19 examples in the various AU grades (1/09). Needless to say, the prices are in inverse proportion to the population data.
The present piece, while showing evidence of light circulation wear, has largely escaped any fate more severe, save for a rim bump on the obverse corner at 11 o'clock. The central obverse strike, on the eagle, scroll, and rock, shows the typical softness that is seen on almost all specimens of this Territorial issue. Listed on page 364 of the 2009 Guide Book.

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# ANGU, PCGS# 10217, GSID# 11787)

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