1856 $2.50 PCGS MS65

In my opinion, Gem quality small denomination gold from the 1850's is one of the more undervalued areas of American numismatics. It is not exactly plentiful but on the few occasions when a coin like an MS65 1856 quarter eagle is available, prices seem very reasonable to me. This is among the nicer examples of this date that I have seen or owned with glowing frosty luster covered with a touch of light rose color. There are no marks of note on the surfaces, the strike is excellent and there is a "freshness" about this coin that would be hard to improve upon. My best guess is that there are no more than a half dozen real Gem 1856 quarter eagles known and the last to sell was Heritage 12/09: 1540 which brought $7,475.