1904-S 50C MS67 PCGS Secure. CAC....

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Famous 1904-S Half Dollar, MS67
One of Two Superb Gems at PCGS

1904-S 50C MS67 PCGS Secure. CAC. Ex: Duckor/Stack. The obverse has a thin crack across the bust truncation. Similar cracks are observed on several different Barber half dollar issues. An extremely faint die crack is observed on the cap. There are no die cracks or other die imperfections evident on the reverse. The mintmark is slightly right of center below the eagle's tail and close to the feathers. Although a few spots of weakness are evident, the strike is bold, with full claw and feather details on the reverse.
As usual for the S-mint issues of the era, the obverse has some faint roller lines, with a few even fainter roller lines on the reverse. Both sides are highly lustrous, with frosty silver surfaces beneath delicate golden-brown, light green, and lilac toning.
The rarity of Mint State 1904-S half dollars is well documented over many years. Only 553,038 coins were minted, the eighth-lowest production of the entire series. In Gem grades, the 1904-S is one of the rarest Barber halves aside from the 1892 Micro O variety, 1893-S, and 1900-O.
The Duckor, Norweb, and Price coins are the three finest 1904-S half dollars in existence today. All three are certified MS67, two at PCGS and one at NGC. When he cataloged the Price coins, David Akers called the 1904-S "something really special" and suggested that it is the finest known example. Obviously Dr. Duckor felt that his own coin, which he acquired six years before the Price sale, was better, since he kept it over the Price coin. Of course, Dr. Shireman, the owner of the Norweb coin, considers his the finest of the three. The pleasure of numismatics is clearly illustrated through this debate.
An extensive survey of auction catalogs dating to the early 1970s provides data on exactly eight 1904-S Barber half dollars that grade MS65 or finer. Two of the eight coins have a provenance dating to the San Francisco Mint when the coins were struck in 1904. The review is consistent with current NGC and PCGS Census data that show a total of 10 coins certified MS65 or finer. The following Condition Census documents three MS67 coins, one MS66 example, and four MS65 pieces:

1. MS67 PCGS James A. Stack Collection (Stack's, 3/1975), lot 612; Stack's (3/1984), lot 788; David Akers (11/2/1992); Dr. and Mrs. Steven L. Duckor. The present coin.
The 1975 Stack's cataloger wrote: "A beauty with full blazing luster and pale golden and iridescent toning. Better than the Delp and Hawn coins, the latter at $525.00."
The 1984 description was modified slightly: "A beauty with full blazing luster and pale golden and iridescent toning. There is no doubt that this is one of the finest extant."
2. MS67 PCGS Peake Collection; New Netherlands (6/1955), lot 719; Norweb Collection (Bowers and Merena, 11/1988), lot 3634; Heritage (1/1999), lot 6792; Dr. and Mrs. Peter Shireman.
3. MS67 NGC San Francisco Mint (1904); S. Benton Emery; Walter P. Nichols; Emery-Nichols Collection (Bowers and Merena, 11/1984), lot 830; Auction '85 (Paramount, 7/1985), lot 1242; Dr. Thaine B. Price (David Akers, 5/1998), lot 162; John C. Hugon (Heritage, 1/2005), lot 4237, $92,000.
4. MS66 PCGS San Francisco Mint (1904); J.M. Clapp; John H. Clapp; Clapp Estate (1942); Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr.; Eliasberg Estate (Bowers and Merena, 4/1997), lot 2102; Stellar Collection; Dale Friend; Heritage (1/2009), lot 3895, $80,500; Heritage (9/2009), lot 809, $74,750.
5. MS65 PCGS Harold April (12/30/1965); James Bennett Pryor (Bowers and Merena, 1/1996), lot 293; Charles S. Mamiye (Bowers and Merena, 3/1998), lot 1350; George "Buddy" Byers (Stack's, 10/2006), lot 1354; Heritage (2/2007), lot 3552; Heritage (8/2007), lot 1696.
6. MS65 NGC Heritage (1/1998), lot 6941.
7. MS65 Uncertified New England Rare Coin Auctions (7/1976), lot 1152.
8. MS65 Uncertified NASCA (11/1977), lot 875; Geoffrey Peters Collection (NASCA, 4/1980), lot 1516.

Among all the amazing coins in the Duckor Collection, the cataloger likes this coin above all others. It is boldly detailed, fully original, and arguably the finest known example of the rarest issue in the series. The connoisseur who seeks the best possible Barber half dollars is advised to take full advantage of the present opportunity. Population (6/10): MS66 (1); MS66+ (0); MS67 (2).
Ex: James A. Stack (Stack's, 3/1975), lot 612; Stack's (3/1984), lot 788; David Akers (11/2/1992).
From The Dr. and Mrs. Steven L. Duckor Barber Half Dollar Collection.(Registry values: N14284)

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 24MP, PCGS# 6500, GSID# 6603)

Metal: 90% Silver, 10% Copper
Weight: 12.50 grams
ASW: 0.3617oz
Mintage: 553,038

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