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HBCC #6133 – 1877 Half Dollar – Obverse HBCC #6133 – 1877 Half Dollar – Reverse
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1877 Half Dollar

HBCC#:
6133
Breen#:
n/a
BD#:
n/a
Judd#:
1503
Pollock#:
1656

The obverse design here is a reduced representation of the Liberty Head by George Morgan, made famous by issuance of large quantities of Morgan silver dollars. Of the four known examples, Harry Bass acquired this one from Lester Merkin’s auction sale of June 26, 1970. A second example was sold by New Netherlands in their auction sale of June 30, 1970, a sale that Harry Bass also attended. Had he so desired, he could have purchased the second example and acquired half the surviving population in less than a week! This single coin was plated in Adams-Woodin, Judd, and Pollock.

Provenance:
Dr. J. Hewitt Judd; Abe Kosoff's Illustrated History, 1962, Lot 493; Lester Merkin's sale of June 26, 1970, Lot 643.
Obverse:
Head of Liberty to left, very similar to the style adopted for regular-issue Morgan dollars of 1878-1921.
Reverse:
Eagle perched on olive branch and arrows at the center of a federal shield, wings spread, laurel wreath around shield, IN GOD WE TRUST on sectioned ribbon above eagle, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA HALF DOLLAR around the periphery.
Commentary:
"Gifted to HBRF, 12/91. Half Dollar. Second leaf above LIBERTY clear of R in PLURIBUS. Third leaf, under I, very short. Morgan design, pattern halves."