A truly exceptional specimen, as well preserved as any circulation issue half cent of this date extant, the D. Brent Pogue example is as sharply struck as a Proof but lively with frosty luster. The original shade has mellowed fairly evenly across the obverse, producing an attractive mélange of deep red, while the reverse tends towards brown with warm highlights of mint color. The detail is definitive and the defects are small and few. A well hidden spot in Libertys hair, high above E in LIBERTY, a smaller one at the junction of her lowest curl and the bust truncation, and another on the leaf above H of HALF are the only defects that perhaps keep this from a higher grade. The fields are pristine, with no significant marks visible. The die state is the usual one, Manley 2.0, with a well-defined crack extending from the outside tip of star 2 to above Libertys hair beyond star 7. Two sets of clear clash marks are seen, most evident on the reverse but somewhat visible around the central obverse device as well. Outside the wreath, one crisp clash left vestiges at ST of STATES and ICA of AMERICA. The obverse texture is a trifle reflective, while the reverse shows more flowlines and fatigue.The finest 1833 half cent in the Missouri Cabinet collection was graded MS-66 BN (PCGS), one of five events at that grade. This is the only example of the date to ever surpass them.
