Lot 1022
1851 Liberty Seated Half Dollar. AU-58. Scarce as a date, this 1851 is seldom encountered in high grades. Most were melted as the price of silver rose as compared with gold, which was being shipped to the mints in massive quantities from the goldfields of California in the 1850s. As the price of silver rose, the silver coins in circulation became worth more than face value, and were melted in massive quantities. This occurred in the late 1960s again when silver coinage disappeared from circulation as the price of silver rose well above face value. Hence, 1851 half dollars are rarely encountered today, and the official mintage needs to be taken with a grain of salt to account for the meltings. Here is a delightful coin that boasts nearly full luster, well struck devices and choice surfaces throughout.
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| Realized $1,323 |
