1858 Liberty Head Half Eagle. MS-66 (PCGS). CMQ.This 1858 half eagle has satiny deep honey-gold surfaces that exhibit pale olive and peach iridescence along with richly satisfying luster that seemingly glows from within. The surfaces are pristine to the unaided eye, and low magnification does little to dispel that notion. The present sparkling Gem is finer overall than the beautiful MS-64 Bass specimen (Bowers and Merena, October 1999:1104), that coin called "incredible" at the time of its sale. Typical strike for a half eagle of the era, some weakness at the centers but bold at the peripheries. No doubt among the earliest of the 15,136 examples of the issue struck, as low magnification reveals innumerable faint raised die polish lines in the fields that run diagonally across the obverse and vertically across the reverse; these would have faded quickly with die wear. The typical survivor from this circulation strike mintage is apt to be VF to EF, but only occasionally AU, and rarely in Mint State.<p>Collectors often consider Philadelphia Mint half eagles of the 1840s and 1850s as common, and in certain circulated grades they seemingly approach that availability level, but most of the issues are actually quite scarce to downright rare in Mint State. The 1858 half eagle is one of those dates that escalates rapidly in rarity the further up the grading scale you set your sights. If the "finest of the fine" is your ultimate goal, your search ends here. This is an ultimate type coin for the collector in need of a No Motto Liberty Head $5, and also an obvious choice for inclusion in the finest date and mint set of this extremely challenging series.PCGS# 8276. NGC ID: 25V7.PCGS Population: 1; 0 finer. The single NGC grading event in MS-66 * is believed to refer to an earlier certification of this coin.From the Rick Springfield Collection. Earlier from Heritages FUN Signature Auction of January 2008, lot 3189, as NGC MS-66 *; our New Orleans ANA Auction of May 2103, lot 1326, as NGC MS-66 *.
