NGC-Certified Seated Liberty Half Dollar Mint Error Realizes Over $50,000

In a press release from Numismatic Guaranty Corporation ® (NGC®), we have learned that an error coin certified by them realized $51,754 at an auction by GreatCollections. The nearly 150-year old coin was struck on a wrong-sized planchet that was intended for a quarter. It is believed to be a unique addition for the Seated Liberty Half dollar series.

Struck in the 1870s, the coin was recently discovered in a collection that had been held by the Wheeler Family of New Jersey for decades. Unsure of the coin’s authenticity of their inherited collection, the owner decided to submit the coin to NGC for certification. NGC graded the coin NGC Mint Error AU 50 and pedigreed it to the Wheeler Family.

Although the date of the coin is missing because it could not fit on the smaller quarter planchet, NGC was still able to identify the date range as 1871-75 because of the size and shape of the “S” mintmark on the reverse. This mintmark also indicated that the coin was struck at the San Francisco Mint.

The coin was sold on Sept. 29, 2019, through GreatCollections, a well-known U.S. auction company. Throughout the auction, over 100 registered bidders tracked the coin and the listing received over 4,500 page views. The winning bidder was an advanced collector of U.S. coins.

For more information about the Seated Liberty Half dollar, visit ngccoin.com. For more information about GreatCollections, visit GreatCollections.com.