1865 50C PR67+ Deep Cameo PCGS. CAC....

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1865 No Motto Half Dollar
PR67+ Deep Cameo
The Finest-Certified of This Date at PCGS

1865 50C PR67+ Deep Cameo PCGS. CAC. While PCGS has seen one other PR67+ example dated 1865, that coin lacks cameo contrast, making this PR67+ Deep Cameo clearly the finest 1865 half dollar proof known. The mintage for proof 1865 half dollars was 500 pieces, neither particularly high nor conspicuously low for the Civil War era. However, if one considers Deep/Ultra proofs as possessing the ultimate eye appeal among proofs, then this piece has is without question the finest 1865 proof known, unmatched by any other coin of its date and tied with one other No Motto proof for the finest of its type and format within the series. An 1860 MS67+ Deep Cameo is the only comparable piece seen by PCGS from the No Motto years.

The end of the Civil War prompted Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase to order homage should be paid to the deity on coins. Secretary Chase was influenced by an 1862 letter received from Reverend M.R. Watkinson, which ultimately inspired the addition of IN GOD WE TRUST to U.S. coinage -- first on the two cent piece in 1864, and on other Federal coinage in 1866. This 1865 half dollar represents the final year of the No Motto design type, adding to its popularity among type collectors and series specialists alike.

Profound white-on-black contrast stops the eye when viewing this spectacular 1865 half dollar. Brilliant silver mirrors surround the richly frosted motifs and, as expected for this high grade, the surfaces are virtually flawless. A tiny planchet flake near Liberty's chin is of Mint origin -- barely a pinprick, but it is the only interruption seen on the glassy-smooth obverse fields. A short, squiggly lintmark connects the left-most olive leaf to the nearby dentil on the reverse. A faint hint of gold toning shimmers along the rims and drifts in from the margins to confirm the original surfaces. Population: 1 in 67 (1 in 67+) Deep Cameo, 0 finer. CAC: 1 in 67, 0 finer (6/24).
From The Benedict Family Collection.

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 27TS, PCGS# 96419, GSID# 6460)

Metal: 90% Silver, 10% Copper
Weight: 12.44 grams
ASW: 0.35996oz

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View Certification Details from PCGS