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1852 50C PR65 NGC....
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Sold on Aug 26, 2025 for:
$48,000.00
Bid Source: HA.com/Live bidder
Description
1852 Seated Liberty Half Dollar, PR65
Finest of Only Three Examples Confirmed
Ex: Kaufman-Gardner
1852 50C PR65 NGC. Ex: Kaufman-Gardner. The Kaufman-Gardner
1852 proof half dollar is the finest of just three or perhaps four
specimens extant. The actual mintage is unknown, though the PCGS
CoinFacts online reference estimates three to six coins were
struck. Breen enumerates three 1852 proof examples in his proof
Encyclopedia, corresponding exactly to the number of
specimens in the population data. NGC reports three coins including
one PR60, one PR63, and the present Gem proof. PCGS lists only a
single PR63 example, but it is the same as the PR63 NGC piece.
Given the extreme rarity of this issue in proof format, collectors
of early Seated Liberty proofs will want to give special attention
to this delightful Gem Proof, which is the finest certified by two
full grading points. Both sides display pleasing mirrored fields
(including the areas between the stripes of both shields) that
establish pronounced contrast with the satiny motifs. Whispers of
golden-tan, sky-blue, and lavender toning make occasional visits to
each side, slightly more so on the obverse, and the design elements
exhibit razor-sharp definition throughout. Nicely preserved
surfaces reveal just a few faint hairlines in the fields
intermingled with die polish lines. Some interesting raised lines
on Liberty's upper portrait are likely lint residue, perhaps
imparted from the hub die. As usual for the 1852 proofs, the date
digits seem a bit softly impressed into the die. Given the rarity
of both circulation strikes and proofs, the 1852 issue always
commands immediate attention by Seated Liberty collectors and early
proof specialists. NGC Census: 1 in 65, 0 finer (7/25).Roster of Proof 1852 Proof Half Dollars
1. PR65 NGC. Phil Kaufman Collection / ANA Signature (Heritage, 7-8/2008), lot 1824; The Greensboro Collection / FUN Signature (Heritage, 1/2013), lot 5666; The Eugene H. Gardner Collection / New York Signature (Heritage, 6/2014), lot 30531; Long Beach Signature (Heritage, 1/2015), lot 3141. The present coin.
2. PR63 PCGS. Tecumseh Sale (Steve Ivy Numismatic Auctions, 12/1979), lot 700; Auction '84 (Paramount, 7/1984), lot 668; Worrell Collection (Superior Galleries, 9/1993), lot 731; Public Auction Sale (Stack's, 10/1996), lot 303. In 1993, the Superior cataloger noted: "Purchased by Paramount from Robert Batchelder, a Pennsylvania dealer, in 1974 and sold privately in early 1975. It later appeared in Steve Ivy's Tecumseh Sale." The Superior pedigree chain for this piece also lists, incorrectly, lot 203 in Auction '86, which is an 1852-O brilliant proof half dollar.
3. PR63. Norweb Collection (Bowers and Merena, 11/1988), lot 3157; Jascha Heifetz Collection (Superior, 10/1989), lot 1590; unknown intermediaries; Joseph O'Connor; purchased by Gene Gardner in February 2004 (not the present coin).
Additional Appearances
A. Proof. Richard B. Winsor Collection (S.H. & H. Chapman, 12/1895), lot 1070, part of a complete silver proof set, realized $115.
B. Proof. Howard Rounds Newcomb; Newcomb Collection, Part I (J.C. Morgenthau, 2/1945), lot 746 (per Breen, who says "later untraced unless this is the former W.L. Carson specimen via Lester Merkin." If Breen is referring to Merkin's February 1971 sale, lot 755, he is mistaken, as that coin is an 1852-O brilliant proof half dollar).
C. Proof. Paramount, per Breen (possibly the coin purchased from Batchelder, referred to in number 2 above).
From The High Oak Family Collection.
Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 27TD, PCGS# 6397, Greysheet# 6419)
Weight: 13.36 grams
Metal: 90% Silver, 10% Copper
View all of [The High Oak Family Collection ]
Auction Info
2025 August 26 - 31 ANA US Coins Signature® Auction #1385 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
August, 2025
26th-31st
Tuesday-Sunday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 17
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 170
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
20% of the successful bid per lot.
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