Owner Comments:
1873 $5 Half Eagle
Judd-1340, Pollock-1484
Rarity: R.8, PR63 BN
Ex: Simpson.
Plate coin for the Judd reference and for the USPatterns.com web site
Struck in copper with a reeded edge.
Obverse/Reverse: Struck using the adopted dies for the Liberty half eagle of 1873.
Comment:
USPatterns.com and now widely accepted that these off-metal pieces using the regular dies of the year were struck for sale to collectors. Probably only three or four examples have survived of this piece. This coin and the one in the Bass Collection (Ex: Farouk, Greene and Boosel) are the only examples traced to date. This is verified that between 1960 and 2022 these are the only 2 pieces that appeared at auction
An impressive Select proof exhibits lightly reflective fields and sharply detailed design elements, under vivid shades of lavender-gray, cerulean-blue, orange, and magenta toning, with a few hints of lilac and amber. The surfaces are lightly marked and overall eye appeal is outstanding.
Provenance/Appearances:
From Heritage Aug 2022 / Lot # 5289, Prior
- Ex: Tree Many Feathers Collection (Bowers and Merena, 11/2001), lot 182;
- Important Selections from The Bob R. Simpson Collection, Part IV / Dallas Signature (Heritage, 2/2021), lot 3278;
- Dallas Signature (Heritage, 6/2021), lot 3251.