Dahlonega Quarter Eagles with Gold CAC Stickers
/The upcoming DWN Concierge Sale™ of the Star City Collection of Dahlonega gold includes a complete set of quarter eagles from this facility; all graded by PCGS, and all but one with CAC approval. There are three different coins in this set which sport a coveted gold sticker from CAC. These are as follows:
1841-D, PCGS EF45 CAC Gold
1845-D, PCGS AU50 CAC Gold
1859-D, PCGS AU55 CAC Gold
In case you are unfamiliar with CAC gold stickers, a very small percentage of coins submitted to CAC exist which the graders feel are undergraded by today’s standards. Many of the coins with gold stickers are found in much older generations of PCGS or NGC holders, and were graded at least 20-30 years ago. Most gold coins with gold stickers are common issues (such as an 1899 half eagle in PCGS MS63, or a 1927 double eagle in NGC MS64), but a very small number are numismatically significant coins such as Dahlonega quarter eagles.
As I began to catalog the remaining Star City coins for their upcoming mid-May date of sale, I was intrigued enough by these three coins to wonder just how many D mint quarter eagles exist with gold CAC stickers. The answers will surprise you.
As of April 2024, the following Dahlonega quarter eagles had been given a gold sticker by CAC:
| Date | Number Graded | Grade(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1841-D | 3 | 40/45/50 |
| 1844-D | 1 | 50 |
| 1845-D | 1 | 50 |
| 1846-D | 1 | 40 |
| 1847-D | 1 | 45 |
| 1848-D | 2 | 50/53 |
| 1851-D | 1 | 40 |
| 1854-D | 1 | 45 |
| 1859-D | 1 | 55 |
| TOTAL | 12 | Avg. Grade = 46.91 |
There are a total of nine different dates which have at least one coin with a gold sticker. The three scarcest dates represented are the 1841-D, the 1854-D, and the 1859-D.
I find it odd that that no fewer than three 1841-D quarter eagles have gold CAC stickers. This is a scarce date which appreciates rapidly in price as grades increase. This means that the temptation to resubmit an obviously undergraded coin is far greater than it is for a common issue such as an 1847-D or an 1848-D. I have seen two of the three 1841-Ds which have gold stickers, and one is in an old green label PCGS holder, while the other (which is for sale in the Star City Collection offering) is in a much more recent holder.
1859-D $2.50 PCGS AU55 with a cac gold sticker
The three most valuable coins in this group are the AU50 1841-D, the EF45 1854-D, and the 1859-D in AU55. I have handled two of the three (I’ve never seen the AU50 1841-D, but based on the EF45 example of this date which is represented in the Star City Collection, I’m assuming it’s a great coin). The 1859-D is likely the most desirable of the three due to its high grade.
How does one go about pricing one of these coins? I would suggest that this is a fairly subjective area as it is difficult to determine how much of a premium to put on an obviously undergraded coin.
Let’s say that coin X is worth $3,500 in EF45, and $6,000 in AU53. It is currently in a 45 holder but it seems likely that it would grade 53 by today’s standards if cracked out and submitted raw. Is this coin worth $6,000 in the Gold CAC holder, or is it worth even more based on a Gold CAC premium? What if the coin isn’t in an old green label PCGS holder but it is still clearly undergraded? These are not easy questions to answer and I would propose that each gold CAC Dahlonega quarter eagle is a unique coin with its own set of pricing specifics.
Are you interested in assembling a great set of Dahlonega quarter eagles or quarter eagles from any U.S. mint? If so, please contact Doug Winter by email at dwn@ont.com. Doug is the world’s leading expert on all pre-1933 US gold coinage, and he has helped build most of the best sets of Dahlonega issues ever assembled.
