The completion of any set of classic United States gold coinage is an important feat. When the set in question is a complete set of Charlotte gold…well, that’s truly a feat that deserves a DWN blog!

The Revere Collection of Charlotte gold is an impressive set which includes a high-grade example of every single coin struck at the Charlotte mint, with the exception of the excessively rare 1849-C Open Wreath gold dollar. What’s more impressive is that the coins are mostly Uncirculated.

The first Charlotte coin I sold this collector was about four or five years ago, and I soon learned that the Revere Collection was already around one-third complete. I spoke at length with the collector, helped him focus his goal, and helped him to sell off some weaker coins which had been purchased before I came into the picture.

Can you guess which coin took me over two years of searching to find, and which I finally found to complete the Revere Collection? Hint: it isn’t what you think it is. The answer is below.

I would venture to guess that fewer than dozen complete sets of Charlotte gold have ever been assembled (this, of course, does not include the ultra-rare 1849-C Open Wreath dollar). I have personally assembled six complete sets and have handled two of the five known 1849-C OW dollars.

Highlights of the Revere Collection are as follows:

Gold Dollars:

1849-C Closed Wreath, PCGS MS63
1852-C, NGC MS65
1853-C, PCGS MS64

Quarter Eagles:

1846-C, PCGS MS62
1848-C, PCGS MS62
1855-C, PCGS MS63

Half Eagles:

1840-C, PCGS/CAC MS63
1860-C, NGC MS64
1861-C, NGC MS61

Now, to the Missing Link. Have you ventured a guess as to which C mint coin took me so long to find?

The answer is the 1843-C Small Date quarter eagle, and if you guessed this issue, give yourself a pat on the back.

The rarity of this date is well-known, and my most recent book on Charlotte gold ranks this as the single rarest Charlotte quarter eagle from this mint. That said, I used to encounter this date all the time, even in reasonably higher grades. But for some reason, the availability of the 1843-C Small Date has changed over the last three-five years and this was proven by my Epic Quest to locate an acceptable example.

Around a year ago, I saw an NGC AU50 example but it was scrubby and I passed on it. Six months ago, I found a nice OGH PCGS AU58 but it was priced at a number that made no sense given its grade. Finally, one was included in the Gibson II collection I purchased in June 2016. Before listing it on my site, I called the owner of the Revere Collection and gave him the good news.

The Revere Collection might see a little fine tuning here and there but it is finally finished and the owner deserves a hearty congratulations (and a sincere thank you) from DWN.

Would you like to build a set of rare date gold coinage? We would love to work with you and can help you whether you want to focus on Charlotte issues or coins from other mints. Call or email Doug Winter to discuss your goals.