| The World's Columbian Exposition Commemorative Half Dollars are widely accepted as the first U.S. commemorative and the first in the widely collected classic commemorative series. However, some argue that the 1848 CAL. quarter eagles were really the first U.S. commemoratives. The Columbian Exposition Half Dollars were also the first United States coin of regular issue to depict an actual historical person, Christopher Columbus. The silver used to coin many of the Columbian Half Dollars came from the melting of then uncurrent coins which were pulled from circulation and held by the Treasury, many of which were half dimes last minted in 1873. The Columbian Half Dollars were minted for two years, 1892 and 1893. This example is an 1893 Columbian Half Dollar which has been graded MS67+ by NGC and is encapsulated in one of the newer-style edge-view holders. While the Columbian Half Dollar is a fairly common classic commemorative issue, it is certainly not common in a grade of MS67+. In fact, this is the ONLY MS67+ example graded to date by NGC and only two (2) examples have ever graded higher at NGC; a single MS68 and a single MS68* coin. This coin has very strong luster on both sides and attractive rainbow color as well. When tilted out of the light, there is a light haze over the center of each side of the coin, but it is almost unnoticeable under a strong light and is a testament to the originality of the piece. Just a couple of tiny marks can be found on this ultra high grade piece under a close inspection. For reference, the NGC Coin Price Guide lists a value for this coin of $21000 and the PCGS Price Guide lists a value of $22500 for MS67+ examples. Again, Columbian Half Dollars are not rare, but an eye appealing Columbian in the MS67+ grade is a very special coin.
Because of the difficulty in capturing the overall look of the coin in a single image, I have also included a short high-definition video of the coin towards the bottom of this listing in an attempt to give you a better idea of what this coin will look like in hand. Please note that you may need to adjust the video quality to 1080p and may need to increase the size of the video to full screen in order to see the coin in maximum detail.
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