 1854-D 50¢. Round. B-G 422A. Rarity-7+. Liberty Head. Brilliant Uncirculated, with claims to Choice. Here is a crisply struck specimen of this extremely rare Deriberpie issue, featuring a strike that is concave on the obverse and convex on the reverse. The obverse is yellow-gold and lustrous, while the reverse is more orange-gold, with mint frost at the peripheries and a glossy surface noted at the center. The glossiness is a result of a past very gentle wiping, as the center of the convex reverse bore the brunt of the wiping action. A thin hairline should be noted at the upper reverse for the sake of complete accuracy. Perhaps two or three specimens of B-G 422A are known other than the permanently impounded ANS specimen. The present specimen does not appear to be either the ''Oklahoma dentist'' or ''Seyhorn'' specimens listed in Breen-Gillio, making this a possible third or fourth known in private hands. The Mint State-60 Jay Roe specimen brought over $8,000 not two years ago, indicating demand for this rarity is high among collectors of California small gold.
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