During the Civil War, half dollar mintages were small, and the coins rarely entered circulation, owing at least partially to economic uncertainty brought on by the war. 1865 saw a characteristically small production of 511,400 half dollars at the Philadelphia Mint, only a fraction of which were set aside by numismatists. The remaining coins eventually found their way into commerce and were lost, destroyed, melted, or circulated heavily in the succeeding years. The resulting population of Mint State examples guarantees robust collector demand, which Stack’s Bowers Galleries is happy to meet with a beautiful example certified MS-66 by PCGS.
The Philadelphia Mint used six obverse and six reverse dies in eight combinations to strike half dollars in 1865. The coin in our June Rarities Night session features a repunched date and is cataloged as WB-8. Eight other 1865 Seated Liberty half dollars in MS-66 appear in the PCGS Population Report with only three finer examples known.
Per our cataloger, the coin “exhibits blushes of powder blue and pinkish-russet iridescence to dominant sandy-silver patina. Attractively original, the surfaces are also carefully preserved with the smooth appearance one would expect for the assigned grade. Sharply struck with full satiny mint luster.”
For more information on our June Official Auction of the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Summer Expo, or to consign your numismatic items to this or another of our upcoming auctions, call 800-458-4646 or email Info@StacksBowers.com.
