Finally filled in this very tough hole - 1855-S Seated Liberty half dollar
ElmerFusterpuck
Posts: 4,748 ✭✭✭✭✭
It took me years to find this particular date. I've seldom seen examples of it, and when I did they were very unappealing (cleaned, damage, blast white graded circulated coins). I did manage to find one that someone wanted to sell one on Instagram (can't ignore that platform) in a grade and a look I liked. This coin is graded VF-30 and has a decent LIBERTY on the shield. Quite a few don't have that whole word even in VF condition. The reverse almost looks XF. Out of the # mints of this era, I still have the 1856-S and 1857-S to chase down. I've blown some chances to get a nice 56-S, but the 57-S has proven to be just as elusive as the 55-S. Maybe in another decade?
10-4,
Erik
My registry sets
32
Comments
The 1855-S half dollar is no joke to obtain in any grade higher than about F-12. Yep - they're ugly and have often been manipulated to look better than they really are. You did a great job locating a example that escaped the ugly stick.
I once had a ANACS F-15 of this date that was pretty nice except for a reverse stain. I sold it and replaced it with a PCGS XF45 that has great eye appeal except that it has some incidental hairlines on the reverse. No bean, but it's as nice as one can expect for this date.
You will have a easier time finding an 1857-S than an 1856-S, I think. The 1855-S is still the prize out of these three dates - but the other two are favored by collectors because they were under-valued for a long time while the 1855-S was very expensive all along.
Exceptionally nice surfaces. Nice find.
This is an outstanding find--- Congratulations!
Nice find Erik! WTG!!
“We are only their care-takers,” he posed, “if we take good care of them, then centuries from now they may still be here … ”
Todd - BHNC #242
Very original with nice fields.
Sometimes, it’s better to be LUCKY than good. 🍀 🍺👍
My Full Walker Registry Set (1916-1947):
https://www.ngccoin.com/registry/competitive-sets/16292/
Not "almost". The reverse is XF40.
peacockcoins
This is a really, really nice 1855-S half dollar. Congratulations on acquiring it!
An authorized PCGS dealer, and a contributor to the Red Book.
Great coin - congrats
Very choice example!
Super coin!
There was a gorgeous toned AU with a chopmark on the boards at one time...
@OriginalDan ?
Congrats on a very tough coin.
Good memory. Congrats on your new pickup @ElmerFusterpuck, it looks nice.
Here’s the chopmarked example @jayPem mentioned above.
Very nice example. Tough to find like that. Here is mine in a PCI green holder and it has been messed with in it's past. Just for comparison.
Nice kern! I have a PCGS XF45 somewhere in my safe-deposit box in the bank. This is a very tough date to find problem free. For some reason, there are lots of 1855-S half dollars with problems. It almost seems like people picked this specific date and mm to mess around with.
Great Story! Seeing choice key coins like this make my day! Congratulations! You'll always feel good about this purchase!
Which came first the 1855-S half dollar or the quarter dollar
The contemporary press announced in February of 1855 that the first silver coins struck at the SFBM and now available to SFBM customers were quarters.
However they were wrong and had to take a step back from their statement
The SFBM paying clerk received from the coiner 13,800, 1855-S half dollars on March 8th. Another 16,000 were delivered on the 12th.
The first 30,000 quarter dollars were made available on the 19th.
Very nice coin
@ElmerFusterpuck... That is a VERY nice coin... both side, and the S is nicely prominent. Great acquisition. Cheers, RickO
*UNC details not AU. It is even nicer in hand.
11.5$ Southern Dollars, The little “Big Easy” set
Unc is what PCGS put on the label, but I feel like you’re just baiting all the little haters who will claim a chopmarked coin can’t be Unc.
.
i do recall seeing graded chops before but i THINK there are discussions about pcgs not grading many or any outside trade dollars?
if ever there was a candidate...
PCGS will still put details on the label though….Unc, AU, etc.
Great find, darn close to a 40, it took me almost ten years to upgrade my low grade example to an XF that looked decent and I was looking all of the time. The 1855-s in problem free plastic is a real challenge. I think PCGS has only graded about 35 examples in XF40 and above.
Seated Dollar Collection
Wow! A great coin indeed, about 130,000 Mintage
"When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"
Awesome example. Pleasing to the eye. Congrats!
Collector
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