Legend auctions are well known for including wonderful toned coins, and the Dec. 3 Regency Auction 42 sale included a 1958-D Franklin half dollar graded Mint State 67+ full bell lines with a green CAC sticker that soared past its estimate of $7,000 to $10,000 on its way to $32,900.

The Denver Mint issue is a common date in the series but, as Legend pointed out, “There are nice Franklins, there are high grade Franklins, then there is THIS Franklin that is a WORLD CLASS coin that is just stunning. Mother Nature and the numismatic gods really did their ABSOLUTE FINEST work, this is a masterpiece!”

On the varied color seen on both sides, Legend’s cataloger ranked it as a 10+ on its 1 to 10 color scale usually reserved for toned Morgan silver dollars, explaining, “Electric shades of killer neon like violet/pearl green/raw blue explode all over the obverse in a sparkly way. The reverse has a killer mix of iridescent reddish rims, with phenomenal nearly neon like greenish gold centers.”

It is one of a dozen in this grade certified by Professional Coin Grading Service, and another example with less dramatic toning on the obverse but also with a green Certified Acceptance Corp. sticker, realized $5,040 at a Heritage auction this summer.

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