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[L#0280] 1797 50c NGC EF40

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money Start Price:42,000.00 USD Estimated At:70,000.00 - 100,000.00 USD
[L#0280] 1797 50c NGC EF40
Sleek medium gray patina with extra choice rims, surfaces, color, detail. Inasmuch as 1797 is one of only two years this design was implemented, it has become famous with collectors far and wide. The normally found 1797 grades perhaps Good or Very Good. Now and then a Fine will surface in a "name" auction, but rarely will you see a full-bore, problem-free EF40 graded by one of the two top-tier grading services. This honey of a coin is encapsulated in NGC's protective retention device, with serial number 1822309-001. Expect plenty of bids before this one is through.

United States coin designs underwent rapid and sometimes radical change during the first few years of federal coinage in the late 1790s. The recently opened U.S. Mint in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was keenly sensitive to criticism and seemed to be experimenting in an effort to find just the right monetary image for the brand-new nation.

The early Small Eagle silver coinage reflected this restlessness. Before the Mint was even 10 years old, it had produced silver coins with three different types of designs, with this middle design being the rarest and least easy to locate in acceptable condition. They weren't entirely dissimilar, in fact, there was a great deal of overlap in their features as one type gave way to the next. Still, they have long been recognized by collectors as three distinct series, although admittedly short ones.