Eastlake Coin Album
1863 was a pivotal year in the American Civil War, marked by the Emancipation Proclamation, which shifted the war's aim to ending slavery, and the major Union victories at the Battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg, halting Confederate advances and splitting the South, significantly turning the tide of the war. Other key events included Lee's defeat at Gettysburg, the capture of Vicksburg, violent draft riots in New York City, and the first successful test of a Confederate submarine
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.
