1857 Braided Hair Half Cent. B-2. Rarity-4. Proof-65 RB (NGC).

1857 Braided Hair Half Cent. B-2. Rarity-4. Proof-65 RB (NGC).，This is a pretty half cent with splashes of olive-brown patina on otherwise vivid pinkish-rose surfaces. Fully struck with broad rims and reflective fields, the Proof status of this coin is definitive. This carefully preserved Gem is sure to please even the most discerning numismatist.<p>By 1857 both the half cent and large cent had become unpopular with the contemporary public, their circulation limited and generally confined to the East. So unpopular had the half cent become in recent years, in fact, that the coinage of circulation strikes from 1832 through 1836 took several years to be fully distributed into commercial channels. Accordingly, no half cents were struck from 1837 through 1839, and from 1840 through 1848 only Proofs were produced. Circulation strike coinage resumed in 1849 on a limited basis, continuing through 1857 in generally dwindling numbers with an interruption in 1852 when, again, the Mint struck only Proofs.<p>The Act of February 21, 1857, reformed the nations copper coinage by abolishing the half cent and replacing the large cent with the smaller copper-nickel cent. In addition to being unpopular, the older copper coins had become increasingly costly to produce, Director James Ross Snowden reporting that they "barely paid expenses" incurred in producing and distributing these pieces. The Mints final issue of half cents amounted to 35,180 circulation strikes and an unknown number of Proofs. According to the experts at <em>PCGS CoinFacts</em>, more than 250 Proof 1857 half cents are extant. Thanks to the efforts of Mint Director Snowden, the Mint had been steadily increasing distribution of Proof coinage to collectors through the late 1850s, explaining the number of Proof 1857 half cents extant. The historic significance of this final year issue further explains why the 1857 is the most popular Proof half cent among specimen type collectors. The present Gem, with a provenance that includes the collection of John Jay Pittman, is sure to see spirited bidding.，From the A.J. Vanderbilt Collection. Earlier ex Milford Stamp & Coin (Frank Katen), 1948; John Jay Pittman; David W. Akers sale of the John Jay Pittman Collection, Part I, October 1997, lot 164; Heritages FUN Signature Coin Auction of January 2007, lot 338; via Stacks.，