The Poe Collection
1958-D


Obverse
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Reverse
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Coin Details

  

Set Details
Origin/Country: United States
Design Description: HALF DOLLARS - FRANKLIN
Item Description: 50C 1958 D
Grade: NGC MS 65 FBL
Owner: physics-fan3.14
 
Winning Set: The Poe Collection
Date Added: 5/9/2008
Research: See NGC's Census Report for this Coin

Owner's Description

I’m working on getting together a comprehensive scientific explanation of toning for this entry. I am a physicist by training, so I know a little bit about this. I’m just getting the last few facts together, trying to make it easy to understand, and condensing it. <br /><br />The 1958D shares many characteristics with the 1957D. These two years are, as mentioned earlier, the highlight for color coins in the Franklin series. The 1958D also generally has very good luster and slightly below average bagmarks. Water spots are an issue, as always, but this is compensated by a normally very good strike. Especially for a late 1950’s Franklin, the strike is very good on 1958D’s. Of course, compared to the beginning of the series the details present are mushy, but that cannot be helped. Only on the very freshest dies will the hair detail be present, and even Pass and Stow is becoming weak on these later date coins. Ehrmantraut says that semi-prooflike coins are available for this issue, but of course they are still rare. Any prooflike Franklin is a rarity that will fetch a large premium. <br /><br />My coin came from Shane, aka KryptoniteComics, over on the chat boards. The luster is good, but is muted somewhat by the heavy toning. It helps to give the toning a bit of flash, though, especially on the reverse. The strike is alright, about average for this issue. Marks are not too much of an issue, given that it is a 65, but the grade was almost certainly boosted a little by the very nice toning. In hand, the reverse is a little darker than the pictures would indicate, but this appears to be somewhat common on the fully toned Franklin’s of this date that I have seen. Overall, it is a very nice example of the kind of toning that can occur on this date. I paid $115 for this coin in March of 2008. <br /><br />Entertainment in 1958:<br />1958 seems to have been rather a weak year for movies. <br />The forgettable “Gigi” won best picture.<br />The similarly uninspiring “South Pacific” topped the box office. <br />Elizabeth Taylor’s turn in Tennessee Williams’ “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” was released, about caterwauling and cat-fighting within a privileged southern family. <br />Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” was probably the highlight of the year, although even this falls short compared to some of his other works.

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