Owner Comments:
This example is a lustrous, white coin with really smooth surfaces. Very well struck for the issue with full head, skirt lines, eagle's breast and trailing leg. The thumb and branch stems on the obverse are nearly full with great separation---better than a lot of MS 67s that I've seen. It has the die crack across the eagle's breast on the reverse than is so common on so many 1939-S coins that it has become almost a diagnostic in identifying the issue.
In general this issue varies in strike from overall sharp to noticeably soft. Fully struck gems are very rare, in my opinion. Highly lustrous issue with a thick, frosty texture. Usually only lightly to moderately abraded but finding a clear, smooth one is decisively difficult. Toning varies but most examples that I've seen and handled are brilliant.
Important varieties:
V 101-doubled S Northeast.
Rarity rankings:
35th of 65 in overall MS rarity and 41st of 65 in MS 65 or finer for the full set.
10th of 19 in overall MS rarity and 15th of 19 in MS 65 or finer for the middle date set.
3500-4000 coins known in all MS grades.
PCGS Population is 1086/202 and NGC Census is 538/134 as of 11/2016.
Lowest mintage for the year at 2,552,000.