1843-O Large Date $2.50 PCGS MS61 CAC

The 1843-O Large Date is one of the scarcer New Orleans quarter eagles in Uncirculated. There are probably fewer than ten known in properly graded Uncirculated and I have never seen an example that I felt graded higher than MS62 to MS63. The present piece is solidly within the Condition Census and it is unusual in that it displays reflective surfaces instead of the usual thick, frosty luster. There is some mint-made roughness in the planchet as made and the color is a rich, even orange-gold hue with a small spot on the reverse above the left side of the E in STATES. There have been just two auction sales for a PCGS MS61 in the last few years. The first was Heritage 10/11: 4654 at $9,200 while the second was Stack's Bowers 2011 ANA: 7610 which was bid up to $8,625. CAC has approved three in this grade with another two finer.