1902 $5 PR(PCGS#8497)

February 2026 Showcase Auction - The James A. Stack, Sr. Collection Part II

경매인

Stack's Bowers

로트 번호

23023

등급

PR64

가격

18,000

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Breathtakingly beautiful surfaces possess undeniable originality in the form of warm rose-orange color backlit by subtle olive-gold. Most areas are smooth, as expected at the Choice Proof level, but light hairlining in the expansive obverse and reverse field areas preclude an even higher grade. Appreciable field to device contrast is significant for the Proof 1902 half eagle since the Mint prepared the dies for this issue in manner that applied only limited frost to the design elements. The typical certified example is in the non-Cameo Proof category, as here, and there are no Deep/Ultra Cameo specimens known to PCGS, NGC or CACG.<p>While Proof half eagle production backed off from the record achieved for the Liberty Head series in 1900 (230 coins struck), the 1902 still boasts one of the more generous mintages for the type at 162 coins. This is the first year for Brilliant Proof gold coinage, however, and since the finish proved less popular with contemporary collectors than the Cameo Proofs of earlier years - particularly the exceptionally well produced issues of the 1890s - approximately a third of the mintage for the 1902 failed to sell. This issue turned out to have the second highest mintage for the type, yearly production declining thereafter and through the end of the Liberty Head series. Nadirs for the era were reached in 1906 and 1907 when only 85 and 92 Proofs were struck, respectively.<p>With 90 to 110 coins believed extant, the 1902 numbers among the more readily obtainable Proof half eagles of the Liberty head, With Motto design type in today's market. Overall quality for the date is lower than that of some 1890s issues such as the 1899, and while there are a few Gems in certified Proof-65 and Proof-66 (as well as a solitary NGC Proof-67 * Cameo), most survivors of the 1902 are clustered at the Proof-63 and Proof-64 numeric grade levels. There are also some impaired coins among the survivors, and our last three offerings for this issue were actually in PCGS Proof-55 or Proof-58 holders. Offering solid quality for the issue and a highly desirable numismatic provenance, the James A. Stack, Sr. specimen is an ideal Proof type candidate for an advanced collector.