1839-O 50C

1839 50C No Drapery

1839 50C No Drapery (Regular Strike)

Series: Liberty Seated Half Dollars 1839-1891

PCGS MS65+

No Drapery vs With Drapery

PCGS MS65+

PCGS #:: 6230

Designer:: Thomas Sully/Christian Gobrecht

Edge:: Reeded

Diameter:: 30.00 millimeters

Weight:: 13.36 grams

Mintage:: 100,000

Mint:: Philadelphia

Metal:: 90% Silver, 10% Copper

Auction Record:: $172,500 • MS67 • 01-05-2011 • Heritage Auctions

ShowHide Related Coins and Varieties (5)

Major Varieties

1839 50C No Drapery

Die Varieties

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Price Guide (USD)

PCGS Population

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For Sale Now at Collectors Corner - PCGS Graded

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Rarity and Survival Estimates Learn More

Grades	Survival Estimate The Survival Estimate represents an average of one or more experts' opinions as to how many examples survive of a particular coin in three categories: 1) all grades, 2) 60 or better, and 3) 65 or better. These estimates are based on a variety of sources, including population reports, auction appearances, and personal knowledge. Survival estimates include coins that are raw, certified by PCGS, and certified by other grading services.	Numismatic Rarity Numismatic Rarity converts the Survival Estimate for a particular coin into a number from 1 to 10 (with decimal increments) based on the PCGS Rarity Scale. The higher the number, the more rare the coin.	Relative Rarity By Type Relative Rarity By Type ranks the rarity of this coin with all other coins of this Type. Lower numbers indicate rarer coins.	Relative Rarity By Series Relative Rarity By Series ranks the rarity of this coin with all other coins of this Series. Lower numbers indicate rarer coins.
All Grades	1,500	R-4.8	1 / 1	99 / 126 TIE
60 or Better	50	R-8.5	1 / 1	51 / 126 TIE
65 or Better	3	R-9.8	1 / 1	18 / 126 TIE

Survival Estimate
All Grades	1,500
60 or Better	50
65 or Better	3

Numismatic Rarity
All Grades	R-4.8
60 or Better	R-8.5
65 or Better	R-9.8

Relative Rarity By Type All Specs in this Type
All Grades	1 / 1
60 or Better	1 / 1
65 or Better	1 / 1

Relative Rarity By Series All Specs in this Series
All Grades	99 / 126 TIE
60 or Better	51 / 126 TIE
65 or Better	18 / 126 TIE

Condition Census What Is This?

Pos	Grade	Pedigree and History
1	PCGS MS65+	As PCGS MS65 #2574984. "The Larry H. Miller Collection," Stack's Bowers, December 17, 2020, Lot 1081 - $138,000. As PCGS MS65 #56865345. "The Contursi Family" (PCGS Set Registry). WB-4.
1	Est. MS65+	As PCGS #38681270. Heritage Auctions, April 23, 2020, Lot 3711 - $150,000; Dell Loy Hansen. WB-1. This coin is no longer in a PCGS holder.
1	Est. MS65+	As NGC MS67 #1727946-010. “The Joseph C. Thomas Collection, Part Two,” Heritage Auctions, January 6, 2011, Lot 5558 – $172,500.
4	PCGS MS65	‘The Lawrence Stack Type Set,” Stack’s, by sale, January 2003. As PCGS MS65 #32916369. “The D. Brent Pogue Family Collection,” Stack’s Bowers, March 31, 2017, Lot 5026 – $141,000; Oliver Jung; Dell Loy Hansen. Lustrous example with speckled orange and magenta toning throughout.
4	PCGS MS65	Kevin Lipton, September 2005. Unknown Intermediary. As NGC MS65 #448216-002. Heritage Auctions, June 23, 2014, Lot 30482 – $88,125. As PCGS MS65 #49629847. WB-1.
5	PCGS MS64+	As "MS64." Heritage Auctions, April 2011, Lot 5147 – $115,000; As PCGS MS65 #25583349. Heritage Auctions, August 3, 2012, Lot 5150 – $152,750; "The Jim O'Neal Collection of U.S. Half Dollar Types," Heritage Auctions, January 15, 2023, Lot 3724 - $126,000. WB-4.
5	PCGS MS64+

#1 PCGS MS65+

As PCGS MS65 #2574984. "The Larry H. Miller Collection," Stack's Bowers, December 17, 2020, Lot 1081 - $138,000. As PCGS MS65 #56865345. "The Contursi Family" (PCGS Set Registry). WB-4.

#1 Est. MS65+

As PCGS #38681270. Heritage Auctions, April 23, 2020, Lot 3711 - $150,000; Dell Loy Hansen. WB-1. This coin is no longer in a PCGS holder.

#1 Est. MS65+

As NGC MS67 #1727946-010. “The Joseph C. Thomas Collection, Part Two,” Heritage Auctions, January 6, 2011, Lot 5558 – $172,500.

#4 PCGS MS65

‘The Lawrence Stack Type Set,” Stack’s, by sale, January 2003. As PCGS MS65 #32916369. “The D. Brent Pogue Family Collection,” Stack’s Bowers, March 31, 2017, Lot 5026 – $141,000; Oliver Jung; Dell Loy Hansen. Lustrous example with speckled orange and magenta toning throughout.

#4 PCGS MS65

Kevin Lipton, September 2005. Unknown Intermediary. As NGC MS65 #448216-002. Heritage Auctions, June 23, 2014, Lot 30482 – $88,125. As PCGS MS65 #49629847. WB-1.

#5 PCGS MS64+

As "MS64." Heritage Auctions, April 2011, Lot 5147 – $115,000; As PCGS MS65 #25583349. Heritage Auctions, August 3, 2012, Lot 5150 – $152,750; "The Jim O'Neal Collection of U.S. Half Dollar Types," Heritage Auctions, January 15, 2023, Lot 3724 - $126,000. WB-4.

#5 PCGS MS64+

Charles Morgan:

The 1839 Liberty Seated Half Dollar, No Drapery

The Wiley-Bugert reference assigns major catalog numbers WB-101 to the 1839 Liberty Seated Half Dollar No Drapery (#6230) and WB-102 to the With Drapery variety (#6232). The term "drapery" refers to a small section of fabric extending from behind Liberty's raised elbow to her left knee. On coins struck with "no drapery" dies, this feature is absent; instead, the edge of the fabric terminates in a slightly diagonal line just to the right of the pole, leaving an open space beneath Liberty's elbow.

Breaking it down further, within the No Drapery type (WB-101), the Bugert reference identifies four distinct die marriages struck from two obverse and four reverse dies:

WB-1 (#572000): Obverse 1 + Reverse A
WB-2 (#801665): Obverse 1 + Reverse B
WB-3 (#801666): Obverse 1 + Reverse C
WB-4 (#801667): Obverse 2 + Reverse D

Because auction catalogers and non-specialist dealers rarely report specific die marriages, tracking sales data for individual WB-1 through WB-4 varieties remains challenging — creating prime opportunities for alert cherrypickers.

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