1859-FD Round 50 Cents. BG-1001. Rarity-7-. Liberty Head. MS-64 (PCGS). OGH. A glorious near-Gem example with vivid deep orange-gold color and a semi-prooflike finish to both sides. Delicate silvery tinting is also evident as the coin rotates under a light, but not even close inspection with a loupe reveals a worrisome blemish. The obverse die is shattered with several peripheral cracks, most noticeably at 1 to 3 oclock, reverse with repunching to the letters D and AR in DOLLAR. This Period Two issue is attributed to maker Frontier, Deviercy & Co., as evidenced by the initials FD on Libertys coronet. A rare BG number, 1001 has an extant population of just nine or 10 coins per <em>PCGS CoinFacts</em>. The 2003 Bob Leonard census lists 10 specimens and, while the familiar qualifier "Perhaps includes some duplication" is present, the coin offered here does not appear to be in Leonards census. If so, this is a strange omission since the coin is the single finest certified for the BG-1001 attribution at PCGS and is housed in a Generation 3.0 holder (1990 to 1993, which means it was certified at least 10 years prior to publication of the Leonard census). Regardless, the absolute and condition rarity of this coin are beyond contestation, as is the significance of this offering for advanced collectors. From the Oregon Collection.
