Highly lustrous with a semi-prooflike finish from the dies. The devices are frosty and the fields are slightly reflective, which serve to highlight the bold strike on both sides of this lovely upper end Gem. Additionally, the medium gray obverse center gives way to rich, broad halos of deep crimson, violet, and midnight-blue, while the reverse is chiefly bright iridescent peach at the top with broad crescents of bright neon blue and faint sea green at the bottom.

The 1880 is from an era of low mintage circulation strike half dollars that commenced in 1879 and continued through the end of the Liberty Seated series in 1891. Many numismatists believe that these limited mintages resulted from the Mint's focus on Morgan dollar production, which had been authorized by the Bland-Allison Act of February 28, 1878. The real reason, however, is more complex and goes back to the earliest days of the Civil War. As the anticipated quick victory over the Confederacy failed to materialize and the outcome of the conflict became uncertain, silver coinage disappeared from circulation in the North and Midwest by the summer of 1862. The end of the Civil War in 1865 did not result in an immediate return of silver to active circulation, and hoarding continued throughout much of the Reconstruction era. April of 1876 finally saw the resumption of silver specie payments and the return of silver coinage to the channels of commerce in the East and Midwest. (Gold and silver remained in circulation on the West Coast throughout the Civil War and Reconstruction eras.)

In anticipation of the resumption of silver specie payments, the Treasury Department ordered the mints to increase production of dimes, quarters and half dollars. The Philadelphia, San Francisco and, to a lesser extent, Carson City facilities duly complied, producing large quantities of coins from 1875 through 1877/1878. What the Treasury Department did not anticipate, however, was that the resumption of silver specie payments would suddenly result in the release of many hoarded earlier-dated coins. These older coins flooded the market alongside the newly minted coins of 1875 to 1877/1878, creating an oversupply that sharply reduced the need for new coinage. In the case of the half dollar, demand for new coinage remained low until the introduction of the Barber design type in 1892.

The circulation strike 1880 was produced to the extent of just 8,400 pieces and survivors have long been popular. This issue is legitimately scarce in all grades, although speculation by contemporary numismatists who noticed the small mintage means that Uncirculated examples are available with patience. As an aesthetically pleasing premium quality Gem, however, the coin offered here is rare from a condition standpoint. Qualifying as Condition Census, in fact, this beautiful example represents an important bidding opportunity for Set Registry and other quality conscious collectors.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

All winning lots will be shipped domestically via FEDEX, United States Postal Service, or DHL. Please note: A delivery confirmation shipment will be required for all orders. Delivery methods depend on the value of the shipment (for insurance purposes). All orders sent via Priority or Express require a signature confirmation. Please refer to the chart below to see how your winning lots will be shipped. Once your order has shipped, we will send you an email containing the order tracking information.

Total Value of Shipment Shipping Method
$1-$299 First Class
$300-$24,999 Priority or 2-Day
$25,000-$199,999 Express or Overnight
$200,000+ Contact us for Special Arrangements
Chart applies to U.S. addresses only -- items shipped to international addresses from the United States will be delivered via Fed Ex and items shipped from our Hong Office will be delivered via EMS with the exception of countries that EMS service does not cover.

If you would like your order shipped domestically via FedEx, please contact our Client Services department at (800) 458-4646. Additional charges may apply.

• How much do you charge for shipping and handling?

Within the United States: All orders are shipped via USPS. All orders will have the following postage and insurance charges in addition to a $.50 handling charge per lot added to the purchase price:

Invoice Amount Postage & Insurance
Up to $299 $12.00
$300- $499 $17.00
$500- $999 $20.00
$1000- $2499 $24.00
$2500- $4999 $27.00
$5000- $9999 $30.00
$10000- $14999 $40.00
$15000- $19999 $45.00
$20000- $24999 $50.00
$25000- $49999 $75.00
$50000- $74999 $100.00
$75000- $99999 $125.00
$100000- $249999 $250.00
$250000+ $400.00


All international orders (including Canada and Mexico) shipped from the United States will be shipped via Fedex or UPS depending on the destination country. All orders will have an international insurance fee of 1/2% of the subtotal of the invoice (hammer price plus buyers fee), with a minimum insurance fee of $10 plus a $.50 handling charge per lot in addition to the postage below. For shipments from our Hong Kong office via EMS, please refer to the Hong Kong Auction section.

Invoice Amount Postage
Up to $2,500 $50.00
$2,501-$10,000 $60.00
$10,001-$100,000 $75.00
$100,001-$200,000 $125.00
$200,001+ $500 or Contact us for Special Arrangements


All orders shipped from the Hong Kong, China Office are shipped via EMS with the exception of countries that EMS service does not cover. All orders will have an international insurance fee of 1/2% of the subtotal of the invoice (hammer price plus buyers fee), with a minimum insurance fee of $10 plus a $.50 handling charge per lot in addition to the postage below. The following countries have EMS coverage: Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, and Thailand. Our international shipping rates will apply to countries not covered by EMS. If you have special shipping requests from our Hong Kong, China Office, please contact [email protected].

Invoice Amount Postage
Up to $300 $35.00
$301-$1,000 $40.00
$1,001-$2,000 $45.00
$2,001-$3,000 $50.00
$3,001-$5,000 $55.00
$5,001-$10,000 $60.00
$10,001-$25,000 $70.00
$25,001-$50,000 $80.00
$50,001-$75,000 $90.00
$75,001-$100,000 $100.00
$100,000-$200,000 $125.00
$200,000+ $500.00 or Contact us for Special Arrangements

by Stack's Bowers Galleries
June 16, 2026 12:00 PM PDT
1550 Scenic Ave
Suite 150
Costa Mesa, CA, US 92626

Stack's Bowers Galleries

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 27% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $20
$100 $199 $20
$200 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $200
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 $499,999 $20,000
$500,000 $999,999 $50,000
$1,000,000 $1,999,999 $50,000
$2,000,000 + $100,000