1896-O 50C MS66+ PCGS Secure. CAC....

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1896-O Barber Half, MS66+
Only One Finer PCGS Specimen
Ex: Duckor/Emery-Nichols

1896-O 50C MS66+ PCGS Secure. CAC. Ex: Duckor/Emery-Nichols. This stunning Premium Gem shows frosty mint luster beneath pastel gold and pale blue toning that deepens slightly at the border. Only a few tiny surface marks are present, as expected at the grade level. The strike is a trifle weak, including poorly defined stars on the obverse. The reverse exhibits weakness at the claws, arrow feathers, and right wing where it meets the shield.

Variety: Struck from perfect obverse and reverse dies. The mintmark is slightly right of center horizontally, and vertically centered between the eagle's tail and the D in DOLLAR. It is canted minutely to the right.

Population Data (7/14): When this piece was in the Duckor Collection, Dr. Duckor considered the 1896-O the rarest Barber half dollar in MS65 or better grades. NGC and PCGS support his assessment, having graded only 12 submissions in MS65 or finer grades. When asked which coin in the collection is his favorite, Dr. Duckor replied with a list of six coins, including this 1896-O that was mentioned first. The others are the 1894, 1904, 1905, 1906-O, and 1907-D. We have only handled one other MS66 PCGS example, the coin from the famous Dr. Thaine B. Price Collection, which has appeared on three different occasions in our auctions.

Heritage Commentary: Although no source is listed in his collection record, S. Benton Emery acquired this incredible piece sometime between 1896 and his death in 1914. According to his record, he paid 65 cents.

Provenance: Emery and Nichols Collections (Bowers and Merena, 11/1984), lot 806; later, David Akers (8/16/1995); Dr. and Mrs. Steven L. Duckor Barber Half Dollar Collection / ANA Signature (Heritage, 8/2010), lot 3186.(Registry values: N7079)

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 24LW, PCGS# 6475, Greysheet# 6586)

Weight: 12.50 grams

Metal: 90% Silver, 10% Copper

View Certification Details from PCGS