Lot 1269
1844-O Liberty Seated Half Dime. PCGS graded MS-62. PCGS holder 07438988. Well struck with nice golden toning. V-2. Small O. Inverted reverse with medal-turn alignment. This is one of the most difficult issues to find in the half dime series, and it is seldom found so fine. Only the 1846 and 1853-O No Arrows issues are more highly thought of by specialists. Some design weakness is noted on both sides, although most of the die work is quite sharply delineated, especially for a product of the New Orleans Mint. The Valentine-2 variety, with its small mintmark, is often found with the rotated reverse as on the present example. This is a lovely coin with satiny fields beneath medium gray-rose and coral-tan toning. The surfaces have minor blemishes as expected, but no individually distracting marks. To emphasize once more: a very rare date in Mint State.Pop 3; 3 in 64; 1 in 65. (PCGS # 4334) .
The modern era of missile launches misfiring has its counterpart in the year 1844, the year this half dime was struck. On Feb. 28, 1844, President John Tyler, with a group of distinguished guests, boarded the steam frigate, U.S.S. Princeton, for an outing on the Potomac which was to demonstrate the ship and its tremendous gun, the euphemistically named Peacemaker. The gun could hurl a 212-pound shot 3 miles. Among those on board was Abel P. Upshur, Secretary of State, who had been secretly carrying on negotiations for the annexation of Texas. The gun misfired and exploded, killing Upshur and 7 others.
Estimated Value $6,500 - 7,000.
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| Realized $7,705 |
