2018-03-03 Sat

Collectors are highly attracted towards top graded coins for inclusion in the PCGS and NGC Registry Set programs. This step has placed a lot of pressure on the finest known grades of otherwise common coins, and the weekly online auctions from firms like Great Collections and David Lawrence, alongside increasingly frequent online auctions by Heritage, Stack’s Bowers Galleries and Legend Rare Coin Auctions, seek to satisfy collector demand for “top of the pop” coins.

A 20th century Half Dollar that is the finest grade certified by PCGS, from Great Collections’ recent online auctions of the Centurion Collection was offered for sale. This 1936 Long Island Tercentenary commemorative half dollar, graded PCGS MS-67+ with a CAC sticker was sold for $5,709.38. In 1936, the outburst of commemorative coins included the Long Island Tercentenary Half Dollar, which celebrated the 300th anniversary of the first non-native settlement on Long Island. The design was created by Howard Kenneth Weinman, son of Adolph A. Weinman who designed the Walking Liberty Half Dollar — with the obverse depicting a Dutch settler and a Native American. The reverse shows a ship traditionally described as a Dutch sailing vessel.

It had a considerable mintage of 81,826 and like most commemorative half dollars, remains available in Mint State grades, with nice Mint State 64 examples found under $100 and even MS-66 representatives trading for $300. And the PCGC has till now just graded 79 in MS-67 and 10 in MS-67+ with none finer and the one with a green Certified Acceptance Corp. Sticker and rich tab toning sold for $5,709.38.

Image Courtesy: Great Collections