Goldberg Coins and Collectibles

Sale 60

Pre-Long Beach Coin Auction

Half Dimes

Lot	Photo	Description	Realized
Lot 1447		1795 Flowing Hair Half Dime. . LM-10, V-4. NGC graded MS-66. Star. Lovely rainbow toning on both sides. A beautiful coin. The variety is confirmed by the presence of a single outer berry below the eagle's left (facing) wing. Die cud over TY and adjacent star. A superlative gem specimen of this Flowing Hair type, one of the handsomest, original toned Flowing Hair half dimes we have had the pleasure to offer in our sales. There is everything satisfying and positive to report here! A coin with soul: The obverse exhibits deep steel-with-blue toning, iridescent as well as attractive, which changes to still deep and saturated russet & purple toward the center before yielding to full-strength silvery brightness. A very pleasing balance of colors. The luster is impeccable, as well, with thorough satiny cartwheel on both sides. The strike is bold enough to impress us and then some. This includes all of Liberty's hair strands which stand out forcefully except for the lowest curl. For its part, the eagle sports much of its feathers but for there are a few missing ones at the absolute center and on the upper wings. The eye appeal is dramatic. Careful scrutiny reveals the immaculate surfaces one would expect for the MS66 grade. Pop 2; 6 finer. Estimated Value $55,000 - 60,000. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $69,000
Lot 1448		1844-O Liberty Seated Half Dime. Improperly cleaned. Nice for the grade (PCGS # 4334) . Estimated Value $150 - 200. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $575
Lot 1449		1853 Liberty Seated Half Dime. Arrows. NGC graded MS-67. A gem frosty white coin. For many reasons this is an exciting and desirable coin. First, the quality is superb. Both sides display full frosted mint luster with iridescent silvery hues. The strike is sharp with complete head details, full stars, and nicely formed leaves. Both sides have light die clash marks, but otherwise appears perfect. This is an important, three-year design variation, with the arrows next to the date, signifying the weight change that was authorized by the Mint Act of February 1853. Pop 11; 8 finer in 67 Star. Blame it on California. Yes, by 1853 the virtual flood of gold pouring into New York and other cities from the California gold rush, had driven down the price of gold relative to silver. As a result, the price of silver, reckoned in gold dollars, actually increased. Massive meltings occurred. No one quite understood what to do about the complete lack of silver coins in circulation. Mint Director George Eckert proposed reducing the silver content of each dollar worth of coins from 412.5 grains to 384 grains. Congress went along, and President Millard Fillmore signed into law the authorization on February 21, 1853. Eckert had no time to prepare new designs, yet it was vital to differentiate the reduced weight coins from the prior heavier silver coins. Eckert thought the easiest solution would be to place arrows on each side of the date, and so ordered Longacre to prepare dies as quickly as possible for half dimes through half dollars. Inexplicably, the silver dollar was not included in the silver weight reduction. Estimated Value $6,500 - 7,000. View details and enlarged photos	Unsold
Lot 1450		1860-O Liberty Seated Half Dime. NGC graded MS-66. A frosty well struck example with semi-reflective surfaces. The O-mint issue of 1861 (final year that New Orleans struck half dimes before it was seized by forces of the Confederate States government), is much scarcer than the P-mint issue this year. The coin has refreshingly clear surfaces, clear sharp strike, and oceans of eye appeal to temp the collector. Pop 11; 1 finer in 67. Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,100. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,150
Lot 1451		1862 Liberty Seated Half Dime. NGC graded MS-67. Lovely rainbow toning. An extraordinary gem in all respects, the luster is bold and unyielding, while toning shades that include a variety of colors highlights and blossoms on both sides. The strike is bold as well, indeed, bold as ever seen on virtually any P-mint date in the series. Pop 18; 6 finer, 1 in 67 Star, 4 in 68, 1 in 68 Star. Estimated Value $1,800 - 1,900. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $2,013
Lot 1452		1863-S Liberty Seated Half Dime. NGC graded MS-66. Well struck with light golden toning. Desirable Civil War period date; one of the low mintage issues struck in the Far West where specie payments continued throughout the hostilities (unlike in the area east of the Mississippi River where most silver and gold was hoarded, never reaching circulation. As handsome as they come and in superlative condition for the advanced buyer. Note the extremely low population: Pop 2; 1 finer in 67. Estimated Value $3,300 - 3,500. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $3,450
Lot 1453		1866 Liberty Seated Half Dime. NGC graded Proof 66. Only 725 minted. Lovely rainbow toning on both sides. An elevated degree of original color springs to life beneath rich gold and faint powder reddish iridescent highlights. Nowhere is there any yielding in the sharp devices, in fact, much more detail can be found there than on the typical example of the date. A resplendent Gem Proof that its new owner will savor. Pop 11; 2 finer. Estimated Value $1,500 - 1,600. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,668
Lot 1454		1872-S Liberty Seated Half Dime. Mint mark above bow. NGC graded MS-67. A frosty gem white coin, superb in every way. Pop 3; none finer at NGC. The chief factor accounting for the Half Dime's demise was the fact that it, along with other silver coins, had not circulated to any great extent since the suspension of specie payments in the opening months of the Civil War (1861). Instead, millions of United States silver coins were left our shores and were melted, though many still circulated in the Caribbean and other places to later return to U.S. circulation in 1878. Concurrently, a replacement for the Half Dime, the nickel Five-cent coin, had already been in circulation since 1866. It was popular with the public, who liked a coin that would stay in circulation, as well as with mint officials, who were working out special "deals" with nickel baron Joseph Wharton for huge supplies of the metal at top prices. It has even been alleged, according to some of Q. David Bowers' researches, that the Half Dime and Silver Three-cent piece were deliberately sabotaged in favor of their nickel equivalents because of influence from Wharton. Estimated Value $1,800 - 1,900. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $1,955
Lot 1455		1872-S Liberty Seated Half Dime. Mint mark below bow. NGC graded MS-65. Lovely toning. A satiny gem of the most advantageous order for a collector. Its high degree of luster pulses beneath rich patinated highlights. Nicely struck, too. Pop 22; 13 finer. Estimated Value $500 - 550. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $575
Lot 1456		1873 Liberty Seated Half Dime. PCGS graded Proof 62. Light hint of gold toning; some surface marks put a barrier up to a higher grade. This is the final year that half dimes were issued. The government abolished this denomination when it passed the Coinage Act of 1873, which, among other things, demonetized silver in favor of a gold standard (PCGS # 4456) . Estimated Value $300 - 325. View details and enlarged photos Check results on similar lots	Realized $357