Owner Comments:
Extremely lusterous for the issue with great cartwheel effect. Many from this issue have poor and damaged surfaces---this one is mint fresh.
In addition to vibrant to softly frosted luster and a lack of distracting abrasions, what sets this coin apart from even many other Mint State survivors is the overall boldness to the strike. Most areas are sharply defined, and even the centers exhibit considerably bold detail. The thumb, skirts and eagle's breast are hammered!
The entire package is lightly toned in a blend of gold and silver iridescence, especially on the reverse but is mostly white. Even the olive branch stems on the obverse are fully split and defined. Fields are nearly perfect.
This is the 2nd rarest, in mint state (only approx. 300 known in all MS grades at NGC & PCGS combined with just 100 extant at the MS 64 level) in the series with mintage at 1,552,000, which makes it a key date in all mint state grades.
In addition to the rather low mintage of this issue for the date, much of this mintage worked very long and hard in commerce, and delightful uncirculated examples,such as this one,were not heavily saved at the time of issue and most succumded to the ravages of commerce. This makes it a classic rarity.
Even XF-AU original examples are VERY scarce and would satisfy many of the old-time collectors of yester-year.
Low-mintage, conditionally challenging issue from the early Walking Liberty Half Dollar series, most survivors of which are worn to one degree or another.
Important varieties:
V 101- Clashed Dies
Pop report in MS 64- PCGS 65/49 higher & NGC 40/27 higher as of 2/11. These numbers tend to be inflated due to resubmissions in hopes of a higher grade.