Owner Comments:
1859 50C
Judd-J-249 Pollock-288
Rarity: High R.7 (3- 7 Pieces), PF63
Struck in Silver with Reeded Edge.
Obverse: Anthony C. Paquet's seated Liberty motif. Liberty is seated left, her outstretched right hand supporting a fasces and her left hand supporting a shield. An olive sprig and three arrows are present at the base of the shield. Thirteen stars encircle the periphery and the date 1859 is below.
Reverse:: "1/2 DOLLAR" in the center and is surrounded by a “cereal wreath” composed of cotton, tobacco, corn, sugar cane, wheat, and oak.
Coment::
Semi-reflective fields form a splendid backdrop to sharply struck, frosty devices on both sides of this lovely Choice Proof. Otherwise silver-tinged surfaces exhibit a splash of vivid reddish-russet and cobalt blue iridescence along the upper obverse border. Extensive die rust pitting around the reverse periphery confirms this coin as a re-strike from the 1870s, at which time they were made expressly for sale to contemporary collectors.
This series of restrikes both copper and silver. The digits 1,8 & 5 in the date are repunched down and rotated about 5 degrees.
Refer to photo above
Provenance:
From the E. Horatio Morgan Collection. Stack August 2019 ANA Lot 3019, Prior: Heritage July 1988 ANA/ Lot #2719