5238

1839 50C No Drapery MS64 PCGS. Breen-4743, WB-101. Min

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:1.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
1839 50C No Drapery MS64 PCGS. Breen-4743, WB-101. Min
<B>1839<50C> No Drapery MS64 PCGS.</B></I> Breen-4743, WB-101. Mint Engraver Christian Gobrecht and artist Titian Peale designed the famous Flying Eagle reverse, launched in 1836 on the Gobrecht silver dollars that featured the Liberty Seated obverse. But when the half dollar was relaunched in 1839 with the Seated Liberty design, the reverse again featured the old Reich-style design, slightly updated and modified by Gobrecht, first used on the 1836 Capped Bust halves. This design change was implemented for some reason that is apparently lost, or was never documented in the first place, and clearly it was despite the express wishes of Mint Director Robert Maskell Patterson, who called the earlier eagle design, with the national shield affixed to its breast, "contrary to both art and nature."<BR> The first Seated Liberty half dollars lacked an extra fold of drapery at the elbow of Liberty. This rare piece is an example of the first Seated Liberty half dollar subtype. The large rock on the obverse is quite close to the lower-left star, and the 9 in the date is nearly closed. (Wiley and Bugert posit that when the extra folds of drapery were added beneath Liberty's elbow, the rock was made smaller to even out the metal flow.) On this coin's reverse there are only two butts to the arrows, despite three arrowheads! Two different obverse dies were used, but the exact number of No Drapery coins minted is unknown. Both the No Drapery and With Drapery 1839 halves are rare in Mint State, the No Drapery more so.<BR> This specimen offers light champagne-pink patination around the rims on each side, deepening to copper-gold in places, with brilliant, untoned silver centers. Under a loupe light roller marks can be seen on Liberty's torso, as well as at the rim beneath the date. A small hairline patch is seen on Liberty's left (facing) breast and arm. The strike is fairly well executed,