1853 50C ARR & RAYS

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Sold on Aug 13, 1999 for:

$5,750.00 Bid Source: Live: Floor bidder

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Lightly Toned, Popular 1853 Half Dollar with Arrows and Rays

1853 50C Arrows and Rays MS 64 PCGS. The shortage of silver coins in the United States was acute enough by 1853 to prompt Mint Director George N. Eckert to place the lighter half dollars of that year into circulation with as little delay as possible. Accordingly, to eliminate the tedious process of modifying each working die, he ordered his staff to add the new arrows and rays directly to the master dies. We do not know the effect that this decision had on production time. What numismatists do know, however, is that the Mint was unable to arrest the extreme die wastage that resulted from the cluttered design features. As die life plummeted to one-third of its pre-1853 level, the new Mint Director, Colonel James Ross Snowden, entered office with the goal of reversing this dangerous trend. He ordered the Mint to remove the rays from both the half and quarter dollar in 1854 and, in the process, created another brief type that continues to capture the eye of collectors to this day.
This is an exquisite example of this popular type that would form the centerpiece of any advanced collection. The impression is essentially complete, although, for accuracy, we report trivial incompleteness of detail on stars 11 through 13. The light russet and blue highlights that have gathered about isolated areas of the obverse periphery deepen substantially in the corresponding areas on the reverse. The balance of the surfaces are brilliant and exhibit attractive, satin luster. A small contact mark in the obverse field near Liberty's left (facing) hand is the only distraction worthy of note on the smooth faces. As we anticipate strong competition for this lovely near-gem, the wise collector is the collector who enters a carefully considered bid when this piece crosses the auction block.

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 27TV, PCGS# 6275, GSID# 6271)

Metal: 90% Silver, 10% Copper
Weight: 12.44 grams
ASW: 0.35996oz
Mintage: 3,532,708

View Certification Details from PCGS