1854 $5 MS64+ PCGS. CAC....

Description

1854 Liberty Head Five, MS64+
Tied for Finest Known, Ex: Ed Milas

1854 $5 MS64+ PCGS. CAC. Among Philadelphia half eagles, the 1854 is equally scarce (or moreso) than many other P-mint dates. It is unknown in full Gem condition, and just two Plus-graded near-Gems are reported by PCGS and NGC combined. David Akers suggested, "This date is even more rare than the 1851 and 1853 (and far more rare than the 1843, 1847, 1852 or 1861) ..." It is most often encountered in VF or XF condition. The two highest-graded examples are both certified by PCGS. Heritage has sold both of the top-rated coins twice, including this current appearance. Most recently, we sold the other MS64+ example in our September 2017 Signature sale as lot 3973, which realized $28,800.

The present coin now carries the identical MS64+ PCGS grade with CAC endorsement, and comes out of the well-known Ed Milas Collection of Liberty Head No Motto Half Eagles, offered by Stacks in May 1995 as lot 491. There, it was described as "among the finest known" and "Lovely, rose gold toning over superb, frosty mint lustre in the fields." The Garrett and Guth reference takes note of this exact coin and that appearance, stating "The finest example seen by the authors, many years ago, was the Ed Milas NGC MS-64 coin that sold for $20,900 in 1995."

Gleaming, smooth surfaces have a few tiny planchet flaws that help pedigree the piece -- a shallow void or strike-through near the lower-inside point of star 1, and a similar cluster of pinprick-size planchet marks between stars 12 and 13. A tiny bit of dark toning extends from the curls just into the field at the back of Liberty's neck. The strike is sharp for the issue, with minor weakness at the eagle's neck feathers and at the arrow fletchings. We expect strong bids for this top-rated 1854 Liberty five when it is called.(Registry values: P5)

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 25UG, PCGS# 8256, Greysheet# 8900)

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.

View Certification Details from PCGS