1831 1/2 C Original, C-1, B-1, R.5 as a Proof, PR50 PCGS....

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1831 C-1, B-1 Half Cent, PR50
Enigmatic 'Original' Strike

1831 1/2 C Original, C-1, B-1, R.5 as a Proof, PR50 PCGS. Ex: Jon D. Lusk Collection. Perfect dies as always for the enigmatic 1831 Original half cents. Collectors have debated the status of these coins for many years. There are those such as Ronald Manley and William Eckberg who consider all 1831 half cents to be proof strikes, while others, such as Roger S. Cohen, Jr. and Walter Breen, believed that some were struck for circulation.

At PCGS CoinFacts, Ron Guth explains:

"Mint Reports show a mintage of 2,200 1831 Half Cents. However, records from this period are known to be incorrect, with mintages often reported in the wrong year. Those who claim that some were made for circulation point to this mintage figure and the fact that a high percentage of the known population exists in circulated condition. To date, no one has come up with a convincing, high-grade business strike, but there are several pieces that are clearly circulated Proofs."

PCGS assigns coin numbers for circulation-strike and proof examples, although for the former, they have never certified an example better than AU55. Of those designated as proofs, they have graded examples as low as PR50, such as the present piece that exhibits slightly reflective bronze surfaces with blue-steel toning inside some of the reverse letters. Trivial marks on Liberty's cheek confirm the provenance.
Ex: Loye Lauder (William Doyle Galleries, 12/1983), lot 280.
From The Jon D. Lusk Collection.

Coin Index Numbers: (Variety PCGS# 933194, Base PCGS# 1186)

Weight: 5.44 grams

Metal: 100% Copper

View all of [The Jon D. Lusk Collection ]

View Certification Details from PCGS