Lot 1857
1952-S Carver-Washington Half Dollar. NGC graded MS-67. CAC Approved. The magnificent rainbow colors are vibrant on both sides. Worthy of a premium bid. Only 8,006 struck. Pop 7; 4 finer, 3 in 67 Star, 1 in 68. (PCGS # 9436)
Historical Note: From Walter Breen’s ascerbic pen we learn, "S. J. Phillips, the impresario we have to thank for the original BTW halves, found himself unable to sell the remainder of his original authorization by the deadline, August 7, 1951, and managed to push a bill through Congress which became the Act of September 21, 1951. This bill probably would have failed except for a clause specifying that the profits of the new issue were to be used "to oppose the spread of Communism among Negroes in the interest of the national defense." As these were the days when the late and unlamented Senator Joseph R. McCarthy (R.Wisc.) exercised extraordinary power and was apt to denounce anyone who disagreed with his extreme anti-communist position, Congress, doubtless afraid to seem like a pack of what McCarthy called "comsymps" or "communist dupes," at once approved Phillips' bill, and President Truman signed it in equal haste. This bill authorized all the unsold BTW coins (both those in Treasury vaults and those already in the Booker T. Washington Birthplace Memorial's hands -- in all, 1,581,631) to be re-melted for re-coinage into the new design; in addition, the bullion earmarked for the uncoined moiety of the BTW halves -- enough to make 1,834,000 -- could be used for the same purpose. This meant a maximum of 3,415,631 Washington/Carver halves could be coined.". Estimated Value $5,000-UP
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| Realized $4,485 |
