1882 50C, DCAM PR65DCAM Certification #22050868, PCGS #96443

Ron Guth

The 1882 Half Dollar is very scarce as a Proof due to its low mintage of only 1,100 pieces.  This number is not particularly small for coins of that period, but it is low when compared to the millions of Proofs that are being produced today.  What makes this coin especially valuable is the small mintage of only 4,400 circulation strikes, which means that collectors who seek high-grade examples of this date are often forced to consider purchasing a Proof in light of the scarcity of Mint State pieces.  In this year, Cameo Proofs represented a higher percentage of the total popuplation and finally, Deep Cameos begin to appear with increasing frequency -- though they are still quite scarce.  The overall quality of Proof Half Dollars from this year is excellent, indicating that most were set aside and carefully preserved by prescient collectors.