A beautifully toned showcase for the Flowing Hair design.A richly toned and thoroughly lustrous gem with both sides displaying a full complement of remaining mint cartwheel. A gentle blend of blue and violet finds a home at the center of both sides, while the peripheries host lighter tones of blue and gold. The strike is superb, with stronger central detail than often seen, including in Libertys portrait and the eagles breast, where some light horizontal adjustment lines barely diminish the definition. The stars generally show good definition, with centers complete on the topmost stars while each star down shows diminishing detail between the top and the rather flat stars 1 and 15 at bottom. The denticles are almost all well-formed, a bit doubled at the left side of the reverse and right side of the obverse, a bit soft atop the reverse. No adjustment marks are present on the obverse, and they are very subtle on the reverse. The splendid aesthetic appeal of the fine toning and bold luster is uninterrupted by notable post-striking flaws. A thin scratch is noted below the bust truncation, above 79 of the date. Some faint hairlines are noted in a proper light, and a few trivial contact points are hidden between the tops of RTY and the denticles. No die cracks are present, but a significant clash mark is evident around the central obverse device.Five major categories of 1795 half dollars are recognized by PCGS. Three of these represent varieties with interesting mistakes: the 1795/1795 Recut Date with the Two Leaves reverse, the 1795/1795 Recut Date with the Three Leaves reverse, and the variety with A in STATES punched over an errant E. Another of the five categories includes three different die varieties whose obverses depict a distinctive looking head of Liberty called the Small Head. The final category is a catch-all, encompassing 26 different die varieties under the title Two Leaves, referring to the number of leaves inside the reverse wreath under each wing of the eagle. Among 1795 half dollars of all of the foregoing categories, just three have been certified as MS-65 by PCGS, two representing the Two Leaves category and one additional specimen of the A over E in STATES reverse. No 1795 half dollar has ever been certified at a higher grade. Further, no MS-65 (PCGS) 1795 half dollar has ever sold before at public auction. The magnificent Eliasberg O-121 offered in the following lot brought $82,500 when sold uncertified in 1997. No better 1795 half dollar has sold since.
