1893-O $5.00 NGC MS62

The 1893-O is the most available With Motto half eagle from New Orleans but it is not plentiful in properly graded MS62 and it is very scarce in MS63 or above. This frosty piece has cleaner surfaces than usual for the date and grade.

1880 $1.00 PCGS PR62 CAM

One of only 36 Proofs struck. This coin is at least a PR64 if not a full-blown Gem but it has been net graded by PCGS on account of some edge marks at 2:00 on the obverse. I'm not certain but this might be an ex: Kaufman Collection coin that was sold by RARCOA years ago; some of these coins were mounted by tacks to boards for display and were partially damaged on their edges as a result. The 1880 dollar is quite rare as a Proof with probably no more than eighteen to twenty pieces known from its small original mintage figure. This is likely the most affordable slabbed Proof example of this date in existence.

1836 Script 8 $2.50 PCGS MS63 CAC

In my opinion, there are few designs that look better in higher grades than the Classic Head quarter eagles and half eagles. These coins tend to have nice color and, if they are unmessed-with, great luster and eye appeal. The present example is a lovely piece for the quality-conscious type collector with rich mellow green-gold color over clean, strongly lustrous surfaces. There are a few slight scuffs in the left obverse field but nothing else of note. As is typical for this design, there is some minor weakness of strike at the centers but the borders are fully detailed. For many type collectors, MS63 is a perfect grade for this type as MS64 examples don't tend to be appreciably better and are quite a bit more expensive.

1858 $10.00 NGC AU50

Going back a few decades, the 1858 was regarded as one of the rarest Liberty Head eagles. In fact, it was among the more desirable Liberty Head gold issues of any denomination. As the eagle series became more collected and better researched, it was learned that other dates were rarer but the 1858 has, in recent years, sort of unfairly lost some of its mojo. Only 2,521 were struck and of these no more than four or five dozen are known. The present example is among the very few 1858 eagles I have seen that has original color and it is also far less abraded than usual. This coin has even medium to deep green-gold color with some darkening on the highlights which give it almost a sort of "Euro" look. There are scattered abrasions on the surfaces including a cluster in the left obverse but these are far fewer than normal for the date. Both sides have some dirt lodged in the protected areas and there is a clump located above the AT in STATES. There have only been two AU50 examples sold at auction in the last bdecade (both graded by NGC) and they both brought $10,350 in 2005 and 2008, respectively. This example is considerably nicer and the market for this series is much stronger in 2012. A very important coin for the advanced specialist.

1863-S $20.00 PCGS AU58 CAC

This coin ably illustrates why I like the AU58 grade so much. It has nearly full luster and shows no real wear (just some minor rub on the obverse high spots) yet it is priced at around half the amount that an MS61 would be, if available. This example has lovely rich rose and orange-gold color, nice luster and very choice surfaces with just a few small marks visible with the naked eye. Despite a high mintage of nearly a million coins, this date is not often seen in Uncirculated and many of the Mint State pieces are from shipwrecks. This example has totally original surfaces with no signs of matte-like luster and, to me, this makes it very desirable. Only one PCGS AU58 has sold at auction since October 2009 (Heritage 1/11: 7252 at $5,175) and it didn't have a CAC sticker. Speaking of which, this is one of eight in this grade with CAC approval with just three better. A great coin for the Type One or Civil War specialist.

1855-S $20.00 NGC AU58 CAC

This second-year-of-issue double eagle from San Francisco is not as scarce as the first-year 1854-S but it is an undervalued issue in its own right. The 1855-S is mostly found in the EF40 to AU50 grades and it becomes scarce in properly graded Choice AU. This lustrous example is among the most original 1855-S double eagles that I can recall having seen with appealing medium to deep rose and green-gold colors on the obverse and reverse. Traces of dirt are lodged in the protected areas on both sides and this attests to the coin's originality. The last comparable 1855-S to sell at auction was Heritage 3/12: 4206 (slabbed by PCGS but without a CAC sticker) that brought $5,175. If you can find an MS61 example of this date, you are probably looking at spending at least double the amount that this AU58 costs and you are probabaly not getting a better coin. This is one of just three 1855-S double eagles in this grade to earn a CAC sticker and only one finer currently exists with CAC approval.

1892 $2.50 PCGS PR64 DCAM

105 Proofs were struck. The quality of Proof gold from the 1892-1896 era is just about unbeatable for its quality of appearance. The amount of contrast seen on many Proofs from this era is incredible and this example is a clear indication of this as it has completely frosted devices set against very deep, watery fields. What makes this coin so appealing is its remarkable natural deep orange-gold and coppery color which is present on both the obverse and reverse. The surfaces are bright and reflective with no hairlines of note; a tiny mark before Liberty's mouth appears to be mint-made and in the planchet. This is a scarce date even as a business strike and the survival rate for proofs is not as high as one might expect with maybe three dozen known. This piece would be perfect for the Proof collector working on a type set of Liberty Head issues as it has the appearance of a Superb Gem at around half the price.

1851 $5.00 PCGS MS61

This is one of the mostly wildly toned Liberty Head gold coins that I've seen in a long time. My guess is that this piece was in a leather pouch for many years and the obverse and reverse have vivid coppery and purple-gold hues that are well-contrasted by the underlying green-gold hues. I am not charging much of a premium for this color (I recently sold a CAC/PCGS 1851 half eagle for a hundred bucks less) but I have the feeling that if this were a common date Morgan dollar with this degree of color it would bring an enormous premium.

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.