1879 Liberty Seated Half Dollar. WB-102. Type II Reverse. MS-65 (NGC).

1879 Liberty Seated Half Dollar. WB-102. Type II Reverse. MS-65 (NGC).，Vivid cobalt blue and champagne pink peripheral iridescence is both bolder and more extensive on the reverse of this gorgeous Gem. Sharply defined with a soft satin texture, the devices contrast appreciably with semi-reflective fields. Uncommonly well preserved for a survivor of this popular low mintage issue with just 4,800 circulation strikes produced. The reason for the limited deliveries of circulation strike half dollars from 1879 through the end of the Liberty Seated half dollar series in 1891 is the sudden return to commerce of older silver coins that had been hoarded since early in the Civil War. The resumption of specie payments in April 1876 allowed silver coinage to once again circulate in the East and Midwest. Anticipating this event, the Treasury Department ordered the mints to increase production of coins such as the half dollar beginning in 1875. The influx of coins from hoarding, however, was not anticipated by the Treasury Department, and to compensate mintages for this denomination were sharply reduced beginning in 1879. These low mintage issues have long enjoyed strong demand in numismatic circles, Gems such as this scarce from a condition standpoint and particularly desirable.，，