The 1894-O is numismatically significant as the final year of issue for Liberty Head half eagles from the New Orleans mint. It is less available in Uncirculated than its counterpart the 1893-O and, when seen in higher grades, it tends to be in the MS60 to MS61 range with baggy surfaces and poor eye appeal.

This slightly prooflike example has exceptionally clean surfaces with only a few small ticks seen in the left obverse field. I have handled dozens and dozens of Uncirculated 1894-O half eagles and this attractive golden-orange piece is one of the very few I’ve seen without extensive abrasions.

No CAC approved MS61 1894-O half eagle has sold at auction since Stacks Bowers 6/11: 9544, which was in an old green label PCGS holder; it realized $2,530.

The market for this coin is brought down by the numerous awful MS61 and MS62′s in third-party holders. Suffice to say, an example with the eye appeal of this coin is very scarce and very underappreciated.

CAC has approved six in this grade with just two finer (both MS62).

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