1858 Half Dime Proof

[justlikemoney-migration]

I have a 1858 half dime proof. I'm trying to find out how many where minted or known. I have found 2 diff. mintage #'s. 1) from a guide to half dimes. It shows 30 minted. 2) Coin Facts stats 125 possibly minted. Could anyone help me find some more info on this? Thanks, for any info. I'm sorry I don't have pics. I'm nowhere near good enough to take good pictures of such a small coin. The coin is nicely toned with light blue to purple to dark blue toning on the obverse and reverse. Thanks again, Bryan

[rbrown4]

Welcome to the neighborhood here.

 

Edited - I stand corrected 300 was dimes, what I have seen for the half dime is "estimated at 125"

 

1858 was the first year that Proofs were offered to the general public if I recall correctly. All proof mintage numbers were extremely low that year.

 

Rey

[123cents]

PCGS Population report says 100 were minted.

[rrantique]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

 

1858 HALF DIME. PCGS Nos: 4367, 4368, 94368, 4437, 84437 Mintage: Circulation strikes: 3500000 Proofs: estimated 125. Designer: Obverse by Thomas Sully, ...

[bsshog40]

Welcome to the forum Bryan!!

[TomB]

What grade is your coin? Additionally, is it slabbed or raw? I know these questions will not help you get the answer you are looking for, but I am simply curious.

[jesbroken]

Welcome to the forum, Bryan. Very nice coin regardless of no pics.

[justlikemoney-migration]

Hello, everybody. The coin is slabbed in an older ANACS holder, PF 63. Would you leave it that way? I notice there is a big price jump from a 63 to a 64. I wanted the coin for the rarity and the nice toning.

[bsshog40]

Would love to see a pic. That would also help on determining an upgrade potential.

[ibyandsellsmith]

Man! I would like to see a picture of that coin.

[michael]

i see you are a collector of the little half sister to the seated dimes

 

small in size but powerful in rarity and collectibility

 

 

 

i would say that no more than 200 or so were struck and many have been harshly cleaned throughout the years...... the stated mintage of 100 is way low for this coin and basede on contemporary mint accounts and informed opinions by some numismatic scholars at least 200+ were struck. which sounds plasible reasobable to me based on my experiences with these coins in the numismatic marketplace

 

director of the mint in philly snowden started advertising proof sets to collectors/the public as this was the the start of the first american bull market in coins, due to the popularity of the flying eagle cents the year before

speculation ran high with these coins with buyers directly fromthe mint of 57 flyers in quantities immediately sold them on the secondary market for more than one cent!! sort of the first speculation in buying coins from the mint to sell at a profit to "collectors" just like today the more things change the more they stay the same

 

of course there were more proof silver dollars coined (a rarity as such as no business circulation strikes were minted) as many collectors only wanted to buy the dollar coins for their coin collecting cabinets....... as even today bigger is better with the general coin collecting public

 

time for you to add to this proof 58 half dime and get a set of silver proof coins of the year 1858

 

also as many as half survive in proof in different states of preservation

 

 

lets take a look at the year 1858 in the usa.............

 

lincoln was the republician candidate for senatorin illinois

 

he faced douglas and debated this great orator with one memorible comment "a house devided against itself cannot stand"

 

gold was discovered close to denver in colorado or shall i say the future city of denver many headed to pikes peak in search of fortune and riches "there's gold in them thar hills"

 

the california gold rush had already reached its zenith and with new technology in the hills of colorado in and around the pikes peak area these high pressure power hydraulic washing devices of gold extraction for maximum in time- saving and profit washed awat entire hills in this area

 

----------------------------------------------------------

 

now as far as numismatics was concerned in 58' the coin hobby was headed in the right direction as many people searched for the older large copper cents in circulation with the ever so desired 1793 and 1799 selling for 500 or more times face value

 

one of the first published information guides to collectors was hickok's an historical account to american coinage and he was from albany new york

 

but this rare tome did not get around too much but it was a start

 

and of course the ans american numismatic society was formed by augustus sage with some friends who met in a small apartment in ny city. and also philly was a hotbed of numismatic activity in the middle 19th century and these two cities were the hotbed of coins numismatics and the first boom in coin collecting in the usa

 

the american bank note company was formed in ny city combining many smaller security printing firms into this great organization which did lotsa of printing for the usa treasury right through the 1870's

 

quite a find this 1858 proof little half sister to the seated dime my friend

[justlikemoney-migration]

I trying to do my 1st pic. Forgive me!

[justlikemoney-migration]

Having a little trouble posting a pic.

[justlikemoney-migration]

When I try to make a attachment. My computer says trouble loading page.

[bsshog40]

Go to photobucket. You can get a free acct. here and upload your pics to it from your pc. Once you upload the pic, under the pics there will be links. Right click the bottom one, click copy, and then just paste it in your post. Works great. I use it all the time.

[MarkFeld]

Would love to see a pic. That would also help on determining an upgrade potential.

I wish I could agree with that, but can't. It's hard enough to try to grade business strike coins within 1 or 2 points' accuracy from images. Proofs are just about impossible, as hairlines (the extent of which is rarely evident in images) is usually the main factor affecting the grade.

 

The combined NGC and PCGS population reports show a total of 150 Proof 1858 Half dimes. And, while a good number of those were probably resubmissions, I believe it is fair to estimate that 100+ were struck.