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[L#0288] 1878-S 50c PCGS MS63

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money Start Price:60,000.00 USD Estimated At:100,000.00 - 125,000.00 USD
[L#0288] 1878-S 50c PCGS MS63
A crisply struck coin glowing with smooth warm golden glow from the fields and devices, with the fields extraordinary for this rare date. Wholly prooflike, they give support to the razor-edge devices, which contrast with satiny frost. While 1878-S is a common date in the Morgan dollar series, with the federal mints concentrating almost entirely on their production that year, the half dollar is the polar opposite, a rarity among rarities with only 12,000 minted. Many of these reached circulation. And after normal attrition, 1878-S was and continues to be among the most revered issues in the seated Liberty series. Only one die variety is known from a Type II reverse. All genuine 1878-S half dollars have a lump just below the top of the leftmost reverse white stripe (barely visible in the photo but plain as day under low-power magnification). Most Uncirculated survivors "are usually prooflike" says the Breen encyclopedia. Breen goes on to list a number of 1970s and 1980s auction prices, stating at the end of the listing that "Mintage halted to put San Francisco Mint equipment into full-time use" on silver dollars.

Distinguishing features of this particular specimen include the PCGS holder number 50080542, two very tiny marks in the otherwise smooth right obverse field, one near Liberty's wrist, the other level with her knee; a couple of tiny scuff marks on stripes four and five of the reverse shield, plus a few equally minor tic marks beneath the left wing of the eagle. Mintmark is bold and placed close to the tip of the arrow feather and above F in half.