Owner Comments:
1868 50C
Judd-651, Pollock-724
Rarity: High R.7 PR63
Ex Pittman & Lenox Lohr Collection
Struck in Aluminum with Reeded edge
Obverse and Reverse: The same designs that the Mint used to strike regular issue 1868 half dollars0.
Comment:
This is a lovely Choice Proof with bright silver white surfaces that exhibit appreciable cameo contrast to the finish. The website uspatterns.com notes that these were struck predominantly for sale to contemporary collectors as part of off metal Proof sets. Only a half dozen specimens of Judd-651 are believed extant.
David Akers Pittman Pt 1 catalog description …
“Numerous light hairlines in the fields, more prevalent on the obverse than they are on the reverse, which is actually very choice. Very sharply struck with a partial wire rim on both obverse and reverse. It appears that the rim might have been filed in places”
The Akers catalog on the Pittman auction noted that this piece was one of the twelve pieces that consist of most of the coins in the set of 1868 regular dies trial pieces struck in aluminum and
“… Missing, however, are the Indian Head Cent, the Two Cent piece, the Shield Nickel and the Ten Dollar gold piece. John J Pittman purchased almost all of this partial set from just two sources, Abe Kosoff’s 1958 ANA sale, and Empire Coin Co. in 1961. Unfortunately, he was unsuccessful in his attempts to complete it. He did own the Shield Nickel at one time, but it was stolen in the home invasion robbery of April 10, 1964. Four or five complete aluminum dies trial sets were struck in 1868 at the instruction of Henry R. Linderman, Director of the Mint. One of these sets, in an original leather presentation case, was in the Garrett Collection sale in 1979, Lot 396. This set later appeared in the 1997 ANA sale as Lot 7289. Another nearly complete set (undoubtedly assembled rather than original) was offered as individual pieces in Bowers and Merena’s 1984 Arnold/Romisa sale. It was missing only the Nickel Three Cent and Five Cent pieces. Another complete set, an original set in the possession of descendants of Hugh McCulloch, Secretary of the Treasury in 1868, reportedly was sold privately in recent years. In addition to the 4-5 complete sets, apparently a few extra pieces of each denomination were also struck."
Provenance/Appearance:
Direct sale David Lawrence July 2020; Priors:
- From the E. Horatio Morgan Collection, Stacks and Bowers Aug 2019 ANA - Session 5 Part 4 /Lot 3353,
- Also David Akers Oct 1997 The John Jay Pittman Collection: Part 1 / Lot # 788 ($2420) - and statement prior Purchased from Stack’s Metropolitan New York Numismatic Aution May 1962, featuring R.E. Cox, Jr. collection of half dollars / Lot 2225, for $160. - Previously in the Lenox Lohr Collection