1866 Liberty Head Half Eagle. AU-53 (PCGS). Pleasant deep honey-gold patina blankets both sides, the surfaces of which also exhibit intermingled blushes of pale rose. Plenty of soft mint luster remains, the design elements sharply to fully rendered over virtually all features. The Philadelphia Mints first Liberty Head half eagle with Motto, the 1866 is a leading rarity in its series. The mintage for this issue is just 6,700 circulation strikes, which is the lowest production figure of any of the three half eagles of the date. Indeed, the 1866 is rare and elusive in all grades with fewer than 100 examples extant per <em>PCGS CoinFacts</em>. Just a handful of Mint State pieces survive, creating strong market demand for attractive and problem-free About Uncirculated examples like that offered here.
