LIKELY THE FINEST KNOWN 1859 HALF EAGLE

Housed in an old NGC "fatty" holder.

The 1859 is among the more overlooked No Motto half eagles of any date with fewer than 100 known and only three to five accounted for in Uncirculated. The present example has long been regarded as the finest known and by today's standards, it grades at least MS63 to MS63+ if not even a bit finer.

This piece has a "glow" unseen on any other business strike of this date. Both sides are very frosty and accentuated by rich natural rose and orange-gold hues. A few ticks in the left obverse field are not overly detracting and the reverse is close to Gem status.

There are no good comparables for this coin but it has two record-setting APR's; see below.

If you collect high grade No Motto half eagles or if you would like to own a reasonably affordable coin which is a strong contender for Finest Known status, this awesome 1859 half eagle is for you.

ex Heritage 4/15: 6217 ($21,150), Stacks 5/95: 514 ($17,600), Ed Milas collection.

From the California Connoisseur Collection