1852-O 50C AU55 Certification #35465398, PCGS #6269

WB-1, R4 (76-200 extant). CAC green sticker (16 total, 2 on grade, 6 higher). GFRC comments: Rare Date, Near Gem Original, Mirrored Fields, Reflective Cartwheel Luster, Completely Struck, Accurately Graded, An Amazing Example. Let's start the description for this near gem original 1852 New Orleans Seated half dollar with a JUST BUY IT NOW recommendation. Folks, this is an amazing example of a rare date due to excessive melting for silver bullion content prior to the silver planchet weight reduction during 1853. Fields are mirrored and generate some awesome reflective luster under a bright light. Obverse toning is mostly golden shades at the periphery with faint sky blue in the centers. These colors are readily evident when viewed with a light source. Faint gray patina covers the reverse which is also provides serious reflective cartwheel luster. Strike is completely executed with all stars in high relief and complete reverse eagle devices including the pesky lower left facing leg and claws. I've seen inferior examples with limited eye appeal bring in the low $2000 range. This near gem is fairly priced for the superior quality. Housed in 2015 style PCGS holder and ready to find a home in one of the finer Liberty Seated half dollar sets under construction. I submitted to CAC and gained approval. Stacks/Bowers comment: Discounting the noncollectable 1853-O No Arrows, the 1852-O is the scarcest New Orleans Mint issue in the Liberty Seated half dollar series. Among certified survivors, most are in lower grades than shown here.

Ron Guth

The 1852-O Half Dollar has a small mintage of only 144,000 coins, making it the lowest mintage, O-Mint Half Dollar of the 1850's.  The value profile of the 1852-O Half Dollar is similar to that of the higher-mintage 1857-O in that both seem to take big jumps in price at the AU level and beyond.  In Mint State, the 1852-O Half Dollar is very rare, with only a handful of pieces clustered around the MS63 level.  A single Gem is all that sits at the top of the condition census - that being the former Pryor Collection coin.