Back in mid-May, a buddy of mine, Joe had the opportunity to come across one of the rarest Seated Half Dollars known in existence. There she was, an 1870-CC gray plug sitting in some dirt in a remote field in upstate New York, little what he knew what treasure was hiding among the attached dirt and grime of that little gray disc. The most remarkable aspect of this story wasn't just the find, but the fact he used an entry level $250 Garrett Ace 250 metal detector to pull what could price out to be...a new car, a 2 carat engagement ring, or simply pay off $15-20k in bills! With that said, get the big picture as to the potential value?
There was some early speculation among buddy numismatics of the authenticity of the aforementioned 1870-CC half, as most believe that only these would exist more on the west coast. The closer you are to the Carson City mint, the more likely you will come across a Carson City minted coin in any denomination. So in turn, words like "counterfeit" or "fake" made its way around the room of tenured collectors like wild fire. There was only one thing Joe could do to debunk the mystery, and at the advice of his fellow collectors, he sent it off to NGC to get graded and authenticated. But before hand, the coin made it's way to NCS, a company that restores coins better than any doctor in the business. If everything plays out according to plan, this will chronicle to be one of the best finds in metal detecting history in the U.S.
So here we are a month and a half later, the coin came back a nice AU-50 Details by NGC. It's a high grade, and the details designation won't detract would be buyers from obtaining one of the rarest half dollars. And it's a remarkable grade for something that's been buried for over 100 years. For more on this story and the current progression of this year's Philadelphia Heritage auction, check out: http://www.coincommunity.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=119362&whichpage=1
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