1879 50C, CAM PR64CAM Certification #56087339, PCGS #86440

In 1879, 1,100 proof Liberty Seated half dollars issued, this coin was born at the edge of transformation. That same year, Thomas Edison illuminated his first successful electric light bulb, changing the course of human experience. And in a quiet corner of Germany, Albert Einstein was born—his future mind poised to redefine time, space, and reality itself. Originally housed in an old PCGS ‘rattler’ slab and graded PR63 with a CAC sticker, this stunning 1879 proof was reholdered due to extensive scuffing on the case, which obscured the coin too much for proper viewing. While classic slabs carry intrinsic value, the absence of a cameo designation on the original label didn’t do this piece justice. The coin clearly displays strong cameo contrast and deserved proper recognition.

Ron Guth

Proof 1879 Half Dollars are very popular with collectors because of the tiny mintage of circulation strikes (4,400 coins) in the same year.  This puts tremendous price pressure on this date from collectors who seek any 1879 Half Dollar -- in this case, the Proofs are more common than Mint State examples.  Thankfully, hundreds of Proof 1879 Half Dollars exist in a range of grades from PR60 to PR64.  Even PR65 and PR66 examples can be found with relative ease.  Only in PR67 does this date become a condition-rarity.  Only 15% of the total population of Proof 1879 Half Dollars are considered Cameos.  As is typical of the dates of this period, the 1879 Half Dollar is extremely rare as a Deep Cameo.