1929 $5 MS64 PCGS....

Description

1929 Indian Half Eagle, MS64
Only Eight Finer PCGS Coins

1929 $5 MS64 PCGS. The 1929 Indian half eagle is the final issue in the series and the only half eagle minted in the 1920s, after a 13-year hiatus since the 1916-S coinage. Although the Mint recorded the official mintage as 662,000 coins, this was the year of the Great Stock Market Crash of October 1929, which threw financial markets (and many investors' lives) into a turmoil. People were desperate for hard money but little was available. It appears that few Mint State specimens were saved, if they were released at all. In Indian Gold Coins of the 20th Century, Mike Fuljenz writes: "The vast majority of 1929 Half Eagles were never released into circulation and they appear to have been melted soon afterwards."
In all grades together, PCGS has certified only 301 specimens--lower than any other issue in the series. However, unlike most other issues, only 24 of those coins (8%) grade less than MS60. For comparison, the next lowest total PCGS population is for the 1909-S with 365 certified examples, but 226 of those (62%) grade less than MS60. That data tells us that surviving 1929 Indian half eagles are the result of contemporary collectors who preserved a small number of coins.
The present example has frosty yellow-gold luster with hints of pink on both sides. There are a few undistracting, scattered surface marks, but overall this splendid near-Gem coin justly deserves the grade assessment. Population: 96 in 64, 8 finer (5/11).(Registry values: N4719)

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 28E2, PCGS# 8533, Greysheet# 9316)

Weight: 8.36 grams

Metal: 90% Gold, 10% Copper

Note for clients in the European Union: This lot is considered by the European Union to be “investment gold”. We believe that it meets the criteria established in Article 344(1), point (2) of Council Directive 2006/112/EC and thus should be exempt from import VAT regardless of the selling price. Any questions or concerns about VAT should be addressed to your accountant or local tax authority.

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