1888 Liberty Head Half Eagle. MS-65 (PCGS). CAC. OGH. A breathtakingly beautiful Liberty Head half eagle irrespective of type or date, this Gem Mint State coin is of particular significance as the single finest example of the low mintage 1888 issue known to PCGS. Dressed in vivid reddish-rose and golden-apricot colors, the surfaces also reveal intermingled powder blue highlights as the coin rotates under a light. Sharply, in fact nearly fully struck, both sides are expectably smooth for the assigned grade. Extraordinary originality joins superior technical quality to make this a must have Gem for the advanced collector of Liberty Head half eagles.<p>Perhaps not surprisingly after the facility produced no circulation strikes the preceding year, the Philadelphia Mint struck only 18,201 half eagles in this format in 1888. This is a scarce to rare issue at all levels of preservation, so much so that if more collectors were assembling date and mint sets of this series the present example would almost certainly command a price well into the six-figure range. As it is its offering in this sale is sure to result in a record price for the issue, as opportunities such as this often come along only once in a collectors lifetime. From Superiors Century Collection Sale, February 1992, lot 2701.
