1886-S Liberty $5, Half Eagle, authenticated / graded / encapsulated by NGC at Select Uncirculated, MS-62, with a strong strike and orange toning. As a never-circulated coin, its lustre is well preserved as a premium attribute. This is a strong MS-62, and with a 30x loupe we can see numerous bag marks and even small gouges, indicating that it's probably not upgradable - but we never know for sure!
This specimen is from the national growth years of the 1880s, with the motto "In God We Trust" prominently displayed on the reverse of larger gold coins, a category which starts at the workhorse $5 Gold Eagle level. This strike is a worthy representation of the quality practiced at the San Francisco mint with its plentiful supply of mined and transported Western gold formed into planchets. Such coins, if uncirculated like this one, were saved as Western bank reserves, then as bank bullion coins after 1933 in European reserves; then after American gold coins rose enough in value, resold to return to North American markets. With its bag marks, that looks like the history for this half eagle: many years spent in bank bags and sometimes moved around. Even as it is from a record high original mintage and there are many survivors, this coin is for the savvy collector who wants a pristine example of this gold series and the times. Shipped free.