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and very near a Mint State grade but for slight friction on the highest points. Only a few
minor marks are seen, and aside from a somewhat dull gray toning area around DOLLAR on the
reverse, the piece offers a very original and attractive appearance. Highly lustrous on
both sides, with medium silver gray toning nicely blending with accents of pale blue and
gold. Numerous darker toning flecks are seen around the rims and in other protected areas
of the design. The countermarks are deeply and evenly impressed, and the rims and edge
show none of the imperfections occasionally seen on countermarked Stone Mountain half
dollars. In 1987, when Adna Wilde first published his Census of known countermarked Stone
Mountain half dollars in the August issue of the Numismatist, only two pieces were known
with the "D.C." mark, these being numbers 1 and 2. Since that time, nearly 20
years ago, only a single additional example has come to light, the specimen offered here.
Since shortly after the time when the tracking and recording of these countermarked issues
first began, the District of Columbia issues have been counted among the most important
and highly sought after pieces of all known issues. Only the Missouri mark is rarer,
represented in the Census by only a single specimen which was not known to Wilde in 1987.
We are delighted to be able to offer this prize of the series as the highlight of our
offering of countermarked Stone Mountain half dollars.
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