1839 50C No Drapery PR64+ PCGS Secure. CAC....

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1839 No Drapery Half Dollar, PR64+
Only Five Known Proofs
Finest Known

1839 50C No Drapery PR64+ PCGS Secure. CAC. This issue has always ranked among the most desirable early proofs, combining extreme rarity with its status as a single-year design type, and the first year of issue for a major design group. For many years a widely held belief was the existence of just three proof examples of this issue, based on the 1977 work of Walter Breen, along with his earlier writings. However, to make matters more confusing, one of the coins that Breen recorded as a proof was clearly a business strike. Only the Reed Hawn coin and the F.C.C. Boyd specimen were actual proofs. Others have been discovered, and today there are five known proofs.

Each of the true proof 1839 No Drapery half dollars has a fine die crack through the base of HALF DOL., continuing faintly through the tops of MERICA. Light clash marks are evident within the spaces of the vertical shield stripes, and several of the vertical lines extend into the horizontal cross bars. This reverse die was used for both proofs and business strikes, so it is unreliable as a diagnostic. There are no characteristics that will aid in differentiating between proofs and business strikes, aside from the quality of production. Notes about the dies: The obverse has the shield point over the space between the 1 and 8. The date is rather small, and high above the border, slightly closer to the rock. The left base of the 1 is over the right curve of a dentil. There appears to be an extremely short, diagonal die line extending down from the bottom right base of the 1.

This gorgeous Gem has pale gold at the centers with intermingled violet and sea-green at the borders. Both sides are wonderfully well-detailed with deeply mirrored fields around the lustrous devices. A few minor hairlines are consistent with the grade. The following roster, adopted from previous research by our staff and others, presents a record of the five known examples.

1. PR64+ PCGS. Possibly the 1948 ANA example; Central States Signature (Heritage, 4/2009), lot 2481, where it brought $241,500. The present specimen.
2. PR64 PCGS. Reed Hawn Collection (Stack's, 8/1973), lot 125; Rarities Sale (Bowers and Merena, 8/1999), lot 199; Benson Collection (Ira and Larry Goldberg, 2/2001), lot 1752; 2002 ANA Sale (Superior, 8/1992), lot 973; Long Beach Signature (Heritage, 1/2004), lot 5941; Richmond Collection (David Lawrence, 3/2005), lot 1784; FUN Signature (Heritage, 1/2007), lot 988.
3. PR62 NGC. F.C.C. Boyd; World's Greatest Collection (Numismatic Gallery, 4/1945), lot 246; Adolph Friedman; 1946 ANA (Numismatic Gallery, 8/1946), lot 812; E.M. Seneca; Berbert & Roe Collections (Stack's, 3/1965), lot 440; 1976 ANA (Stack's, 8/1976), lot 1172; Public Auction Sale (Stack's, 12/1985), lot 942; Worrell Collection (Superior, 9/1993), lot 712; Phil Kaufman Collection (Heritage, 4/2008), lot 2376; FUN Signature (Heritage, 1/2010), lot 2554; Boston Signature (Heritage, 8/2010), lot 3167.
4. PR63 PCGS. Exclusively Internet Auction (Heritage, 9/2002), lot 13257; Exclusively Internet Auction (Heritage, 12/2002), lot 19261.
5. Proof. U.S. Gold, Silver and Copper Coins (Stack's, 10/1996), lot 300. Unknown previous pedigree, possibly the coin discovered in a European collection by Marc Emory in 1981.

Additional Appearances.
A. Proof. Richard B. Winsor (S.H. & H. Chapman, 12/1895), lot 539; possibly Will W. Neil Collection (B. Max Mehl, 6/1947), lot 474; 1948 ANA Convention Auction (Frank Katen, 8/1946), lot 1766.
B. Proof. Joseph Mickley Collection (W. Elliot Woodward, 10/1867), lot 1786, realized $3.75 to Colonel Mendes I. Cohen; Cohen Collection (Edward Cogan, 10/1875), lot 627, realized $8.50 to Heman Ely; Ely Collection (Woodward, 1/1884), lot 202.

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 27SZ, PCGS# 6381, Greysheet# 6382)

Weight: 13.36 grams

Metal: 90% Silver, 10% Copper

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