1897-O 50C PCGS #6478

ICG 2348781001

Ron Guth

Akers' assessment of the 1897-O Half Dollar has turned out to be correct: it is, indeed, a scarce date overall, but in Mint State it simply blends in with a number of other dates that have similar population profiles.  It is certainly not the great rarity that the small mintage might suggest.  In fact, it is one of the few dates in the series where an MS68 example represents the top end of the Condition Census.  In this case, the sole PCGS MS68 is an absolutely spectacular coin that was called "possibly a presentation strike, or branch mint proof" when it appeared in 1997 as part of the famed Louis Eliasberg Collection.  On the other hand, it's NGC MS68 counterpart is fully frosted and has a completely different "look."  In lower Mint State grades, collectors have their choice pof approximately four dozen examples in a range of grades from MS61 to MS67.  The 1897-O Half Dollar is usually struck well.

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David Akers

For many years, the 1897-O was considered to be one of the greatest rarities in the entire series; in fact, it was thought to be at the same rarity level as the 1896-O, 1901-O, 1901-S and a number of other issues. Much of this thinking, of course, was due to the issue's low mintage of only 632,000 pieces. It is true that in circulated grades this is one of the most difficult to obtain of all the Barber Half issues; however, in recent years, say the last 15-20, it has become apparent that the 1897-O is not quite as rare in Gem condition as previously thought, at least not when compared to some other issues of the series. However, rarity is a relative concept to a large degree, and although it may no longer be correct to consider the 1897-O one of the rarest issues of the Barber Half Dollar series in Gem condition, it is certainly very scarce, if not rare, in terms of the total number of such specimens known.