| Description: |
Silver. Reeded edge. Obverse with a head of Liberty facing left, familiar to virtually all
collectors as the design featured on Morgan dollars coined in 1878 and later years. The
reverse has a defiant eagle motif that was resurrected in modified form, decades later,
for use on the 1915-S Panama-Pacific quarter eagle, and still again on the 1918 Illinois
Centennial half dollar. An aesthetic treat certain to delight even the
"fussiest" numismatist, with a pedigree certain to excite any collector.
Attractively toned in intermingled pastel hues of pewter gray, gold, blue, and sea green.
Used to illustrate the variety in the newly issued 8th edition of the Judd pattern book.
Only six specimens have been recorded of this variety, which has been dated to February,
1877 by Bob Julian - making it the earliest produced Morgan half dollar variety. An
important opportunity to purchase one of the nicest examples extant of this popular and
famous rarity.NGC Census: 1, 2 finer (Proof-67 finest).From Bowers and Ruddy's sale of the
Garrett Collection, November 1979, Lot 383. Earlier acquired from George Cogan, privately,
on March 17, 1883. Most recently from Auctions by Bowers and Merena, Inc.'s sale of August
1998 featuring the incredible Morris Evans collection of 1877 half dollar patterns,
wherein Dave Bowers described this coin as "one of the present cataloguer's
favorites." |
