1911-S/S Indian Half Eagle. FS-501. Repunched Mintmark. MS-65 (NGC).Here is a vividly toned, expertly preserved Gem that offers exceptional quality and eye appeal for this challenging issue. Iridescent reddish-rose highlights enliven a base of warm orange-gold patina. The luster is full with a satin to softly frosted texture, and the surfaces are exceptionally smooth for both the type and issue. Solidly graded at the MS-65 level, this coin belongs in an advanced Indian half eagle set. The FS-501 Repunched Mintmark attribution is not noted on the NGC insert.<p>Unlike many gold coins of the day, half eagles remained a popular denomination in daily use, especially in the Western states. Even though the San Francisco Mint coined 1,416,000 half eagles in 1911 - the second highest mintage for the entire series - essentially the entire issue entered daily use and remained there. As with most of the twentieth-century gold coins of the day, many examples met a molten end during the great Treasury melts of the 1930s, leaving even fewer specimens behind. While there are hundreds of examples in the highest AU tiers, the number drops off markedly in Mint State. Most Uncirculated pieces are at the low end of the grade range, seldom above MS-62. Approaching the Gem level, however, the 1911-S is a formidable condition rarity with only a small number approaching anywhere near the degree of preservation offered here. When David W. Akers wrote his landmark series on gold coins in the 1980s, he stated of the 1911-S, "All in all, this is one of the most underrated issues of the series, if not the entire spectrum of 20th-century United States gold coins," a statement that remains accurate today. Connoisseurs seeking the very peak for this issue should plan accordingly to secure this Gem example.<p><p>
