1913 Indian Half Eagle. Proof-65 (PCGS).

1913 Indian Half Eagle. Proof-65 (PCGS).，Offered is an exceptional example of this beautiful and rare Sandblast Proof Indian half eagle. The color is vivid with the reverse bathed in bright reddish-rose, a faint blush of which is also evident over the lower obverse. The balance of the obverse exhibits warmer sandy-gold patina. Boldly defined and very nice for the assigned grade, this lovely Gem would do justice to the finest collection of Proof gold coinage.<p>For the first time since 1909, Proof half eagle production in the Philadelphia Mint dipped below the 100-coin mark in 1913, with a mintage of just 99 pieces. The coins were produced with the same fine-grain sandblast finish that the Mint used to strike Proof 1912 half eagles. Although todays numismatists have come to appreciate the technical and aesthetic aspects of Sandblast Proofs, the coins failed to garner widespread acceptance among the contemporary public, which translated into poor sales. Those coins that were not distributed by years end were destroyed in the Mint.<p>By 1913 the public had become disenchanted with the experimental Proof finishes that the Mint used throughout this series. Sales were much lower for the 1913 than they were for many earlier-dated Proofs of the Indian half eagle type, therefore, and as much as half of the original mintage was eventually destroyed as unsold. <em>PCGS CoinFacts</em> accounts for only 50 to 65 survivors, establishing the 1913 as the third rarest Proof Indian half eagle after the 1909 and 1915.，From the A.J. Vanderbilt Collection. Earlier from Superiors Pre-Long Beach Elite Coin Auction of September 2004, lot 4110; via Stacks.，