1839 Capped Bust Half Dollar. Reeded Edge. HALF DOL. GR-5. Rarity-2.

1839 Capped Bust Half Dollar. Reeded Edge. HALF DOL. GR-5. Rarity-2. Large Letters. AU-58 (PCGS). Bright silver surfaces are offset slightly by dusky-blue toning at the peripheries on this lightly circulated, middle die state example of the GR-5 variety. There is sharp recutting to the left of the 9 digit, while a vertical die line has developed atop the 3. On the reverse, early die states display die lines above the M of AMERICA, but these fade in middle and later states, as here. Though Graham assessed this variety as Rarity-2 in 2012, Koenings assigned it Rarity-1 in 2024. Based on your cataloger's (BAO) personal experience, GR-5 does indeed seem to be one of the most frequently encountered varieties of the date. Even so, the 1839 issue is considerably scarcer than its 1837- or 1838-dated counterparts, and in Choice AU this should hardly be considered a "common coin" in the broader context of numismatics. Jim Koenings Commentary: My Koenings Newsletter #64 (12-15-24) ranked this die marriage R-1 for rarity. I have seen several well-struck specimens in higher grades. Provenance: From the Jim Koenings Collection. Earlier from Heritage's FUN Signature Auction of January 2019, lot 8038. PCGS# 6179. NGC ID: 24G6. Click here for certification details from PCGS.

Estimate:£0.75

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