1843-O Large Date $2.50 NGC AU58

From the standpoint of overall scarcity, the 1843-O Large Date is the second rarest quarter eagle from the New Orleans mint, trailing only the low mintage 1845-O. This variety was long overlooked due to the extreme availability of the common Small Date 1843-O but it has become popular and collectors are now aware of how hard it is to locate high grade examples. This piece show the characteristic broad rims of this variety as well as the significantly doubled mintmark base. The surfaces are covered with deep, natural green-gold color with rich accents of orange-gold. There is a good deal of luster remaining and the strike is better than on many examples with just a hint of weakness on the eagle's right (facing) leg. Uncleaned examples of this variety are not often seen and this would fit nicely into a specialized collection of New Orleans quarter eagles.