1834 Classic $5.00 NGC AU55 CAC

McCloskey 3-C, Rarity-5. Plain 4 variety. The 1834 Plain 4 is easily the most available Classic Head half eagle. This makes it an ideal coin for the beginning collector who wants to dabble in "old gold" or the type collector who wants an affordable example of this popular early type. This lustrous example has a few too many marks on the reverse to qualify as a 58 but it is lustrous and well-detailed. Both sides show nice yellow-gold color.

This is the rarest die variety for the date and it is actually even more difficult to find than the 1834 Crosslet 4.

1894-O $5.00 PCGS MS62

While typically lumped with the 1893-O, the 1894-O is far scarcer in all grades. It is seldom seen above AU58 to MS60 and most of the Uncirculated examples known are excessively baggy MS60 to MS61 coins. Properly graded MS62 pieces are very rare as evidenced by the fact that PCGS has graded but four in MS62 with a scant two finer. There have been just two auction records for PCGS MS62 examples in the last seven years: Stack's 3/10: 1585 which brought $4,313 and Heritage 1/04: 7069 that sold for $4,140. This is the first 1894-O half eagle that I've owned in "real" MS62 in close to five years. It is mostly prooflike with splashes of golden-orange color atop vibrant surfaces that are moderately abraded. None of these marks is deep or terribly detracting and most are seen in the left obverse field. This is a true condition rarity and it is a numismatically significant issue, as well, due to its status as the final With Motto half eagle made at the New Orleans mint.

1860 $5.00 NGC AU55 CAC

I'm going to let you in on a little secret. In terms of overall rarity, the 1860-P is actually harder to find than the far pricier and more coveted 1860-C and 1860-D half eagles. There were 19,763 struck but many were melted during the Civil War and, today, survivors are not often seen above AU50. This is a very choice, totally original "dirty gold" piece with lovely rose-gold and medium orange hues on the obverse and reverse. The lightly abraded surfaces are clean for the grade and there is a good deal of luster. A small toning spot at the tip of the nose serves as quick identification. An Uncirculated 1860 half eagle hasn't sold at auction since May 2006 and the present example has more character than most of the 58's that I have seen in the past five or so years.

1843-C $5.00 NGC VF25 CAC

Locating reasonably priced, evenly worn Southern branch mint gold is never easy and the pre-1845 C+D issues tend to be especially hard to find with good eye appeal. This honestly worn, choice piece shows pleasing rich reddish-gold hues on the obverse and reverse. A few light ticks on the surfaces are in keeping with the grade. A nice looking Charlotte half eagle at under $2,000.

1836 Script 8 $2.50 PCGS MS61 CAC

Head of 1835. Most Classic Head quarter eagles in MS61 are clearly not new and are not good values in comparison to nice AU58's. But this example, which is fresh and choice, is not only free of wear, it has great color and really choice surfaces. The obverse and reverse display rich orange-gold and greenish hues and this coloration is exactly "right" for the date. The strike is slightly above average with less weakness at the centers than usual and the surfaces show just a few minor scuffs in the fields as expected on this type. This frosty piece is as nice as most Classic Head quarter eagles that I see in MS62 holders. I remain amazed that a 175 year old American gold coin in Uncirculated can still be purchased for around $4,000. A great type coin for the collector who appreciates lovely "old gold" but who can't afford the five figure price tag of the earlier types of this denomination.

1843-O Large Date $2.50 PCGS AU58 CAC

Large Date variety. This is probably the single nicest circulated example of this scarce issue that I have seen. It displays superb deep green-gold color on both sides with the reverse a bit less intense in hue than the obverse. There is just a tiny amount of rub seen on the high spots but it is likely that this coin never saw any actual circulation. The 1843-O Large Date is probably the second rarest quarter eagle from this mint in higher grades and it is very rare in Uncirculated with around ten to twelve known. I like this coin a lot more than the nice PCGS AU58 that sold for $5,175 as Heritage 3/11: 4629. If you are a fan of really attractive New Orleans gold coins and you don't want to spend the $8,000-10,000+ that it will cost to find a PCGS MS61 1843-O Large Date quarter eagle, this is the right piece for your collection!

1860-S $1.00 NGC AU53

This is the final gold dollar from this mint until 1870 and just 13,000 were struck. Despite this low mintage and obvious scarcity, the 1860-S dollar is highly undervalued. This is a nice example with good details for the grade. It shows light amber-gold color with smooth, frosty surfaces and a sharp, even strike. The PCGS/NGC population figures seem highly inflated by resubmissions and this date is not often available. At just a bit over $1,000 how can you not love the value this coin offers?

1859-S $1.00 NGC AU55 CAC

Gold dollars were made at the San Francisco mint from 1854 through 1860 and again 1870. None of these issues is common and all are scarce and very undervalued in AU55 and above. This deeply toned, original example is well detailed with nice color and a good deal of underlying luster. The surfaces lack any severe marks and the strike is bold. The seven coin set of gold dollars from this mint can be completed without great expense and it is a fun, interesting set for the gold collector.

1857-D $1.00 NGC AU53

This is one of only 3,533 examples struck and the 1857-D has long been, in my opinion, the most undervalued Type Three gold dollar from Dahlonega. This issue is extremely hard to find with nice color and choice surfaces; two characteristics that this coin has in spades. The obverse and reverse both show nice reddish-gold and green hues; the exact "right" shades for this date. There are just a few circulated 1857-D dollars known that haven't been cleaned and/or processed and examples with nice color are extremely hard to locate. This piece shows a typical strike with the usual weakness at the borders. The surfaces are free of any significant mint-made problems; what looks like a scratch at the upper obverse is mint-made and is seen on most higher grade examples. All in all, this is a very nice example of a scarce issue.