1964 50C SMS SP67+ PCGS....

Click the image to load the highest resolution version.

Sold on May 5, 2022 for:

$48,000.00 Bid Source: Internet bidder

Get one of these:

Share this lot

Track Item Printable Auction Results

Sell One of These

Description

Auction Info

Guides & Info

Description

1964 SMS Kennedy Half Dollar, SMS SP67+
Rarest Issue in the Series
Only About a Dozen Pieces Known

1964 50C SMS SP67+ PCGS. The 1964 Special Mint Set Kennedy half dollar is far and away the rarest issue in the series, a coveted coin with an enigmatic history. The 1964 SMS cents through half dollars might more accurately be called SMS-Finish coins than true SMS coins, as they were not the product of official sets. In fact, the numismatic public was unaware of their existence until the early 1990s, when groups of the coins began appearing in Stack's auction catalogs. Early theories suggested the enigmatic coins came from the estate of Mint Director Eva Adams, who was instrumental in the initial production of Kennedy half dollars, but modern thinking is that at least the majority came from New York coin dealer Lester Merkin.

Most examples are exchanged in private transactions, often without official records being kept, and it is rare for examples to appear at auction. Cents, nickels, dimes, and quarters from 1964 with the SMS finish are more often seen than their half dollar counterparts. Our roster of confirmed 1964 SMS half dollars includes no more than dozen different coins, which is a tally that has remained constant in recent years despite this issue's habit of being reholdered and crossed to a different grading service, inflating the official population reports and altering the grade dispersal.

The 1964 SMS Kennedy half dollar die markers readily confirm the identity of known examples: Reverse. An especially heavy die polishing line runs from the bottom right tip of the small middle serif in (O)F to A(MERICA). Another heavy die polishing line runs from the lower-right tip of the small lower serif of the F in HALF to the rim near the D in DOLLAR. Obverse. A tiny teardrop-shaped (or apostrophe-shaped) lump of metal hangs down from the underside of the crosslet on the 4, just right of the intersection with the upright of that digit.

This piece is likely the fourth or fifth finest example known, according to current knowledge of the grades of known specimens. It displays brilliant, luminous surfaces and razor-sharp detail, with myriad die polish lines throughout the fields that are further characteristic of the SMS dies. A loupe fails to reveal noteworthy flaws, and even pedigree markers are elusive. A couple of tiny planchet voids (as struck) and a thin threadlike strike-through appear in the hair just above the ear. The rarity of this piece and its importance to advanced Kennedy half dollar collectors cannot be overstated.(Registry values: P1)

Coin Index Numbers: (PCGS# 6844, Greysheet# 6988)

Metal: 90% Silver, 10% Copper
Weight: 12.50 grams
ASW: 0.40oz

View Certification Details from PCGS