1884 50C, CAM PR61CAM Certification #45813071, PCGS #86445

Ron Guth

By 1884, interest in Proof Half Dollars began to wane, even though the mintage of regular issue Half Dollars for circulation was quite low (only 4,400 pieces).  Looking at the market today and how demand for Proof coins is so strong, it is hard to believe that 875 Proof Half Dollars were all the Mint could sell in 1884.  Nonetheless, this is a very affordable rarity and it can be found in a nice range of grades from PR62 to PR65.  Above PR65, this date becomes very rare and anything better than PR66 is a true condition-rarity.  Cameo Proofs make up a smaller percentage of the total population than in previous years and Deep Cameos are extremely rare.