1861-S 50C AU50 Certification #19347599, PCGS #6306

CoinFacts Details

Owner's Comments

WB-102, WB-1, R3. David Kahn Rare Coins. 1/16/15.

Expert Comments

Ron Guth

Of all the coins made by the San Francisco mint in 1861, the Half Dollar had the highest mintage (the only other coin that came close was the 1861-S $20 gold piece). However, this fact does not make the 1861-S Half Dollar necessarily rare. Compared with other Civil War-era Half Dollars, the 1861-S is not as scarce as the 1864-S or the 1865-S, but nowhere near as common as the 1861 or 1861-O.

Of the roughly three dozen Mint State examples certified by PCGS (as of October 2011), the most frequently-encountered grade is MS-64. Gem 1861-S Half Dollars are very rare; the finest known is a single PCGS MS-66.

PCGS #

6306

Designer

Thomas Sully/Christian Gobrecht

Edge

Reeded

Diameter

30.00 millimeters

Weight

12.40 grams

Mintage

939500

Metal

90% Silver, 10% Copper

Pop Higher

Pop Lower

163

Region

The United States of America

Price Guide

PCGS Population

Auctions - PCGS Graded

Auctions - NGC Graded

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.
65 or Better	550	R-5.9	26 / 66	47 / 126
All Grades	60	R-8.4	38 / 66 TIE	62 / 126 TIE
60 or Better	6	R-9.7	22 / 66 TIE	41 / 126 TIE

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.
65 or Better	550
All Grades	60
60 or Better	6

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.
65 or Better	R-5.9
All Grades	R-8.4
60 or Better	R-9.7

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.
65 or Better	26 / 66
All Grades	38 / 66 TIE
60 or Better	22 / 66 TIE

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.
65 or Better	47 / 126
All Grades	62 / 126 TIE
60 or Better	41 / 126 TIE

Condition Census Learn More

Pos	Grade	Thumbnail	Pedigree and History
1	MS66 PCGS grade
2	MS66 estimated grade
3	MS65 PCGS grade
3	MS65 PCGS grade
3	MS65 PCGS grade

#1 MS66 PCGS grade

#2 MS66 estimated grade

#3 MS65 PCGS grade