1855-S $5 Liberty Head Half Eagle PCGS AU53 Ex. SS Central America with Gold Pinch
SOLD
SKU
35150609
This is a desired rarity from the early days of the San Francisco mint.
Out of its mintage of 61,000, there have been only 153 graded by PCGS. Out of that total, just 17 carry the grade of AU53. In essence, it was the first issue of the popular half eagle from the San Francisco mint, for the 1854-S issue saw a scant mintage of only 268. Most of the 1855-S half eagles circulated in the Old West. People out West liked to use gold coins in daily commerce, especially in and around San Francisco, where there was a dearth of coinage for several years due to the Gold Rush. This shipwreck survivor of the S.S. Central America (along with a pinch of gold) would be perfect for Wild West and California Gold Rush enthusiasts.
The current offering, an 1855-S $5 Liberty head half eagle, graded PCGS AU53, is both a numismatic rarity and a survivor of the tragic shipwreck of the S.S. Central America. It is enclosed within the special PCGS "Ship of Gold" holder, which also has a gold pinch from the ship. A certificate of authenticity for both the coin and gold pinch is also in the "Ship of Gold" holder. The night of September 11-12, 1857, saw the sinking of the S.S. Central America, when 425 of her 578 passengers and crew perished at sea in a category 2 hurricane with 105 MPH winds. Plus the sinking of 30,000 pounds (14,000 kg) of gold coins and gold dust on board was a major contributing factor to the economic Panic of 1857. Considering those events, this offering from AUCM, an 1855-S half eagle (and pinch of gold), is rich with history.
Here's an interesting fact for numismatists: Did you know that the Liberty head half eagles were the only coins to be struck at every single U.S. mint? So, if you would like to put together a set of Liberty head $5 half eagles, then a great project would be to acquire one of each minted in Philadelphia, Charlotte, Dahlonega, New Orleans, San Francisco, Carson City, and Denver! You can mix rare with more common issues, or focus solely upon the former or the latter. Imagine putting together a unique set of seven gold coins from seven different mints. Wouldn't that be a great numismatic feather in your cap? Perhaps the current offering from AUCM could be part of that set!
| PCGS # | 8265 |
|---|---|
| Grading Service | NONE |
| Year of Issue | NONE |
| Grade | NONE |
| Denom Type | N/A |
| Numeric Denomination | $5 |
| Mint Location | NONE |
| Designation | NONE |
| Circ/UnCirc | Not Specified |
| Strike Type | N/A |
| Holder Variety | Ex.SS Central America 2nd recovery with a Pinch |
| Grade Add On | NONE |
| Holder Type | N/A |
