1875-S LIBERTY SEATED 50C, MOTTO MS66+

GEM SATIN LUSTROUS SURFACES. SHIMMERING IRIDESCENT TONING. ONLY TWO MS67 COINS GRADED HIGHER AT PCGS. CAC. Widespread hoarding during the early Civil War years quickly drove all silver coinage out of circulation in the Eastern states. This situation continued through the early 1870s. In 1875, however, the federal government made a concerted effort to return silver to everyday commerce. As such, the 1875-S was produced to the extent of 3.2 million pieces - the highest yearly total for a San Francisco Mint Half Dollar up until that time. This is certainly a plentiful issue in an absolute sense, but numismatists are cautioned that high-grade Mint State survivors can be very challenging to locate in today's market. Most '75-S Halves were placed into circulation, and those that survived without acquiring wear did so largely by chance. These are large coins, and as they were handled quite roughly on the frontier, even Uncirculated examples are apt to display numerous grade-limiting abrasions from jostling around in Mint-sealed bags. In grades at or above the MS-65 level, therefore, the '75-S is a conditionally rare issue, particularly in light of ever-increasing pressure from type collectors and investors.