1851-O Liberty Seated Half Dime. MS-64 (PCGS). CAC. Iridescent golden toning to lustrous satin surfaces, the lower left reverse border with a blush of warmer steel-olive patina. Semi-prooflike in finish. The large quantities of gold mined in the California Gold Rush upset the delicate balance between gold and silver in the world market. As the price of silver rose relative to gold, silver coins were hoarded, many examples later melted either by speculators or by the Mint to provide bullion for the new tenor coinage authorized by the Act of February 21, 1853. Consequently, issues such as the 1851-O half dime are scarcer in circulated grades than their reported mintages might imply. Little to no numismatic activity in the Antebellum South further explains the rarity of these early 1850s New Orleans Mint silver issues in Mint State. Al Blythe (1992) assigns this issue a Rarity-4 rating in terms of total number of Uncirculated coins believed extant. The Choice specimen offered here is premium quality for the assigned grade and would be difficult improve upon either technically or aesthetically. From our (Stacks) Angelo R. Turrini Collection sale, February 1972,. lot 374. Lot tag included.
