LOT Old Heritage Auctions  /  2008 Jan. FUN Signature Coin Auction #454  / 

3213

1908 $5 MS65 PCGS

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:12,500.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
1908 $5 MS65 PCGS
<B>1908 $5 MS65 PCGS.</B></I> Though modern sources such as the 2008 <I>Guide Book</B></I> list Bela Lyon Pratt as the creator of the Indian Head quarter eagle and half eagle designs, such credit was lacking a century ago. Roger W. Burdette, in his <I>Renaissance of American Coinage 1905 - 1908</B></I>, quotes a letter from Pratt to his mother, which references how Dr. Sturgis Bigelow, who came up with the sunken-relief concept, was named as the designer in newspapers. The letter reads, in part, "Anyhow, I shall have very little of either the credit or discredit. I had not thought it possible that they would play such a trick on me and it really looks much as if Dr. Bigelow was to blame."<BR> Today, Dr. Bigelow is virtually forgotten, while coins such as the present Gem have granted Pratt considerable numismatic repute. The orange-gold surfaces offer uncommonly vibrant luster, and the portrait and eagle show solid definition overall. Occasion green and sun-yellow accents visit the peripheries, and the preservation and eye appeal are equally impressive. PCGS has graded 16 finer pieces (12/07).<BR><BR><B>Coin Engraver:</B> Bela Lyon Pratt<BR><BR><b>Shipping:</b> Coins & Currency (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.heritageauctions.com/common/shipping.php">view shipping information</a>)
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