1850-D $2.50 PCGS AU55 CAC

Due to the rarity of the issues from the middle part of this deacde, the 1850-D quarter eagle tends to be overlooked. However, it is a fairly hard coin to find in any grade with around 200 or so known from an original mintage of just 12,148. This nice, lustrous example is very solid for the grade with a good deal of luster present on both sides. The strike is typical for the date with a little bit of weakness seen at the centers but the borders are uncommonly sharp. The last PCGS AU55 example of the 1850-D to sell at auction was Bowers and Merena 6/07: 2534 which brought $4,198; since then, the last seven trades have all been for NGC coins.

CAC has approved three in this grade with five better.

1845-D $2.50 NGC MS61

When I wrote the first edition of my book on Dahlonega gold coins back in the late 1980's, the 1845-D quarter eagle was virtually unknown in Uncirculated. Since that time, a few previously unrecorded Uncirculated pieces have turned up but this date remains very rare in Mint State with no more than five or six known. This fresh-to-the-market example has unusually good overall detail for the issue with just a touch of weakness seen at the curl above Liberty's ear. The surfaces are very lustrous and show nice russet and lime-gold hues with the reverse being deeper than the obverse. The only two significantly finer 1845-D quarter eagles that I am aware of are the Duke's Creek/Bass coin (graded MS63 by both PCGS and NGC) and Green Pond: 1021 (graded MS62 by PCGS). I think this date is very undervalued in high grades and this is only the second Uncirculated 1845-D that I have handled in close to a decade.

1845-D $5.00 NGC MS63

In recent years, the number of really high grade (MS63 and above) Dahlonega half eagles that have been available to collectors of this series have been minimal, to say the least. This paucity of coins means that there are many type collectors waiting for a high grade coin such for their set. This lovely 1845-D has exquisite deep green-gold color which is illuminated by rich underlying frost. The obverse has a texture that is actually a bit semi-prooflike while the reverse is more normal for the issue with swirls of deep frosty texture. The strike is very sharp for the issue and this coin has the naked-eye appearance of a Gem. There is a very faint obverse planchet impurity that begins at the rim outside of the third star and it runs into the throat area. Other than this, the surfaces are very clean. As a date, the 1845-D is among the more available half eagles from this mint but it is rare in Uncirculated with around a dozen known. The finest is a PCGS MS65 that is ex Bass II: 948 (at $57,500) and Norweb I: 817 (where it broguht an amazing $66,000 in 1987!). There are a few other really nice pieces including the Duke's Creek coin, the Milas coin and the Green Pond coin, all of which grade MS63 to MS64. The present example is undoubtedly in the Condition Census for the issue and I think it is the single best Dahlonega half eagle of any date currently available to collectors.

1854-D $2.50 NGC AU53

Only 1,760 examples were struck and this is the fourth rarest quarter eagle from this mint, trailing the 1856-D, 1855-D and 1840-D in that order. When available, the typical 1854-D is very poorly produced and it grades in the EF40 to AU50 range. This Choice AU example is original and very wholesome with undipped green-gold surfaces that still retain a good deal of dirt in the protected areas. There is enough luster and detail to suggest an AU55 grade and I think that this coin's conservative rating by NGC is more reflective on its originality than anything else. As always, the neck feathers on the eagle are weakly impressed but this is an impressive 1854-D with legitimately good eye appeal. The last AU53 to sell at auction was a PCGS coin (ex Heritage 5/07: 2234) that brought $13,225 back in May, 2007. Since 1998, only six 1854-D quarter eagles have crossed the auction block.

1843-D Large D $2.50 NGC MS61+

Large D Mintmark. Variety 4-H. In October 1843, a total of 3,537 1843-D quarter eagles were produced using a Large Mintmark reverse that was also used again in 1844 and 1846. This variety is significant as it is clearly visible with the naked eye and it is recognized by PCGS. There are exactly two pieces known in Uncirculated: the current example (see below for a full pedigree) and the Bass II: 349 coin (once graded MS61 by PCGS and seemingly later upgraded to MS62 at NGC) that brought $10,350 back in October 1999 as an AU58. The present example is the finest known, in my opinion, with superb deep natural yellow-gold color on both sides. The strike is nearly totally full and the surfaces are very clean; a small spot betwen the final two stars on the obverse is mentioned for accuracy. As a date, the 1843-D is the most common quarter eagle from this mint but it is actually very rare in Uncirculated with fewer than ten properly graded pieces known. This would be one of the better examples of this date even if it weren't the rare Large D mintmark. An important coin for the advanced dahlonega specialist.

From the Duke's Creek collection and last sold by Heritage as Lot 1499 in their April 2006 where it brought $12,075 as an NGC MS61.

1897 $20.00 NGC PR64 ULTRA CAM

One of 86 struck. There are an estimated thirty or so known Proofs for the date and this tends to be an issue that is not often seen with full deep cameo contrast. This piece has a stunning black and white appearance with nicely frosted devices offset by watery fields that are free of hairlines. Were it not for a few very small ticks in the obverse fields, this piece would be a Gem and it would be an $80,000-90,000 coin. There have been no PR64 DC or PR64 UC examples of the 1897 double eagle to sell at auction since the Goldberg 5/08: 4474 example (slabbed by PCGS) that realized $46,000 and which had very questionable orange-gold color on both sides. If you have been searching for a Proof Liberty Head double eagle in I believe is a very practical grade and price range, this might be exactly what you've been waiting for.

1860 $1.00 NGC PR66 UCAM

While the reported mintage for this issue is a very high 154 coins, it is probable that many were melted after going unsold. Today, it is doubtful if more than forty or so survive with most in the PR63 to PR64 range. This example is tied with a few others as the finest 1860 gold dollar graded by a third-party service and I feel that items like this are tremendously undervalued when compared to other areas of United States numismatics. As for the coin itself, it is a full-blown Gem with great contrast and surfaces that are free of hairlines. There are a few microscopic planchet imperfections in the obverse fields as seen on nearly all gold Proofs of this era and the reverse can be quickly identifieid by the presence of four tiny mint-made lintmarks at the center. The last similar example to sell at auction was a PCGS/CAC PR66 (not given a cameo designation but close to Deep Cameo, in my opinion) that sold for a strong $27,600 i9n the Heritage 2012 FUN auction. Thie present piece is clearly finer than Heritage 1/07: 3367 (graded PR66 CAM by NGC that brought $19,550. An important coin for the advanced collector of gold dollars.

1875 $20.00 NGC MS62+

Around a month ago I owned a virtual twin to this coin and it sold quickly to a type collector who was searching for an affordable high grade Type Two double eagle. This second example is just a few obverse ticks away from being an $8,000+ coin and, I believe, it represents great value for the collector who wants a high quality example of this conditionally scarce type.

CAC has approved nineteen examples of this date in MS62 (they do not breakdown these figures into MS62+) with just one finer (an MS63).

1860-S $20.00 PCGS MS62

As with nearly all of the San Francisco double eagle of the Type One design (except for the dates that have had their populations swelled by Treasure coins), the 1860-S is a date that becomes progressively rarer as you climb the grading ladder. It is only moderately scarce in the lower to medium grades but it is a hard coin to find in properly graded AU58. Uncirculated coins are extremely scarce and almost all of the known pieces are MS60 to MS61 with deep, detracting abrasions. The present example is the single finest 1860-S that I have owned and it is quite possibly the finest that is currently available to collectors. The frosty surfaces are nearly free of marks and were it not for a few light lines in the left obverse field, I could see this coin grading a point higher. The reverse is amazing and grades MS63 to MS64 on its own. The combined PCGS/NGC population for this date in MS62 is just a dozen with a scant two coins higher. An MS63 would cost upwards of $50,000 if it became available. The last PCGS MS62 to sell was Bowers and Merena 11/09: 3856 which brought a reasonable $14,375 and only four PCGS MS62's have sold at auction since the beginning of the 1990's. A major opportunity for the serious Type One collector.