1901-S Liberty Head Half Eagle. MS-67 (PCGS). This exquisite Superb Gem exhibits full satin luster enhanced by bright medium gold color. The strike is bold, and the surfaces are exceptionally well preserved in all regards. In Superb Gem MS-67 both the Motto Liberty half eagle type and the 1901-S issue are very rare and seldom offered in todays market. This remarkable coin is among a small handful at this level and is solidly within the Condition Census for the issue. Just a single example grades finer.<p><p>Produced yearly since 1839, the basic design of Christian Gobrechts Liberty half eagle remained unchanged until 1866, in which year the motto IN GOD WE TRUST was added to the reverse. The death and destruction wrought by the Civil War brought about this change, the horrors of the conflict sparking a religious revival in America. The Mint first considered adding the motto to our nations coinage early in the war, when several pattern pieces were produced that display variations in the wording such as GOD OUR TRUST and GOD AND OUR COUNTRY. The first regular issue United States coin to display the now-familiar IN GOD WE TRUST is the two-cent piece, introduced in 1864. The Act of March 3, 1865, formalized this practice by stipulating that henceforth all coins of sufficient size were to include the motto as part of their design. The half eagle was made to comply by simply adding a scroll upon which the motto IN GOD WE TRUST is inscribed in the upper reverse field above the eagle.<p><p>With a mintage of 3.6 million pieces and a good rate of survival, the 1901-S is the most plentiful Motto Liberty half eagle in todays market. Examples are readily obtainable even in the lower to middle Mint State grades, although the certified population falls off markedly above MS-65 and the issue emerges as an important condition rarity in MS-66 and finer grades. This rare Superb Gem 1901-S represents an important bidding opportunity for stellar-quality gold type collectors and Liberty half eagle specialists alike.
