1833 1/2C, RD MS(PCGS#1164)

Spring 2026 Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

2064

Grade

MS64RD

Price

4,800

Lot Description

Manley Die State 2.0. From an unknown mintage from the sole 1833-dated half cent die marriage, which Bill Eckberg (2019) asserts is the 120,000-piece total that the Mint reported for calendar year 1834. Mint State type collectors can thank a hoard of several hundred coins that the Guttag brothers began dispersing in the 1930s for the availability of the 1833 at this level of preservation. While small groups from this hoard remained intact into at least the 1960s, in today's market Mint State 1833 half cents are widely dispersed and are usually offered for sale individually or two to three at a time. As well, PCGS and NGC population data confirms that most certified examples are in the BN or RB categories. With its full RD surfaces in dominant mint orange color, this beautiful Choice Unc from the Widmer Family Collection is certainly one of the finest survivors attributed to the Guttag brothers' hoard. Sharply struck and lustrous, a hint of pale olive-gray tinting in and around the centers further confirms the originality of the surfaces.