1863 $20.00 PCGS AU58

The two rarest Civil War double eagles are the 1862 and 1863, in that order. Both dates have become quite expensive in Uncirculated grades, making nice AU58's (like this coin) a viable option for most collectors. This piece is semi-prooflike and very boldly detailed with no real wear but enough friction on the high spots to accurately grade it as an AU58. But this isn't your average, run-of-the-mill AU58. It is a lovely "super slider" with nice light orange-gold and rose color and great overall eye appeal. There are some abrasions on both sides, probably from being shipped loose in a bag, but other than a shallow scrape below star one on the obverse, none of these are very detracting. The last few AU58 examples of this date that I have seen at auction or on the bourse floor have traded in the $14,000-15,000 range but lacked the overall eye appeal that this piece has in spades. A terrific coin for the advanced collector of Type One double eagles or the Civil War gold specialist.

1876-CC $20.00 NGC AU58 CAC

If you've spent any time on this site, you might now that I am a big, big fan of high end AU58 gold coins. True "sliders" are coins that have the look and eye appeal of a much more highly graded piece often at a significant savings from, say, an MS61 or an MS62 example of the same issue. The present coin is a case in point. It is nearly fully lustrous and shows just a smidgen of wear in the left obverse field and the high spots of the cheek and brow. The surfaces are far cleaner than usual for the issue and both sides show attractive rich natural orange-gold hues. I have sold a number of MS61 1876-CC double eagles at double the price of this AU58 that were not as attractive and this, to me, is what makes this a very good value for the CC double eagle collector. This is one of only eight 1876-CC double eagles in AU58 to have received approval at CAC; fourteen finer have been approved as well.

1867 $5.00 NGC AU55

Only 6,870 examples of this date were minted and the survival rate is even lower than one might expect for a Reconstruction Era gold coin. I believe there are fewer than 100 known in all grades and this is confirmed by the fact that there are just 34 graded at PCGS and another 53 at NGC (that's 87 "grading events" which could translate to as few as 40-50 distinct coins). This slightly reflective example has typical surfaces for the issue but it lacks any of the deep, poorly situated marks that characterize most higher graded 1867 half eagles. The color is a light rose gold and there are vestiges of dirt in the protected areas of the reverse. The last 1867 half eagle in AU55 to sell was Heritage 2011 FUN: 6915 (slabbed by NGC) which was extensively abraded and inferior to this piece; it sold for $3,594. For under $4,000, this is a fantastic value as it is not far removed from the Condition Census and it is a legitimately rare coin in this grade.

1855 $20.00 NGC AU58 CAC

Along with the 1856, the 1855 is my favorite "sleeper" issue among Type One double eagles. There used to be other dates I put in this group, such as the 1862, 1863 and 1866-S No Motto, but these dates have been discovered and are no longer affordable like the 1855. The present example is a delightful slider with nearly full mint luster in a hard, satiny texture as is typical for high quality 1855 double eagles. The color is a light green-gold hue and the surfaces are exceptionally clean with just a few tiny abrasions visible to the naked eye. In MS60, Trends jumps to $11,500 and if you can find a decent quality Uncirculated example (no easy feat, given the scarcity of this issue in Mint State) you will probably be spending in the area of $12,500 to $15,000. This is one of just two examples in AU58 (with one finer) that have been approved by CAC; the other (a PCGS AU58) brought $5,175 in Heritage's April 2011 sale.

1862-S $20.00 NGC AU53 CAC

The 1862-S remains one of the harder Civil War era San Francisco double eagles to find in higher grades. The best examples that are generally seen are in the AU53 to AU58 range, and more often than not, coins that qualify as such have numerous abrasions and no natural color. This lightly worn piece shows exceptional rich russet-gold hues and nice, lightly marked surfaces. There are a few minor abrasions in the left obverse field that are not inconsistent with the assigned grade.

1850 $20.00 PCGS EF45 CAC

Nicely detailed and very lustrous with rich, attractive orange-gold color seen on the obverse and reverse. The surfaces are a bit abraded and if they were just a touch cleaner, this coin would clearly grade AU50 or better as it has plenty of body for the grade. CAC has approved just seven examples in this grade with another twenty-seven higher than this.

1858-S $20.00 NGC AU58 CAC

If you are familiar with this date, you are aware of the fact that the 1858-S is inevitably found with deep abrasions and dull, lifeless surfaces. It is quite scarce in properly graded AU58 and rare in Uncirculated with probably no more than twenty or so known, mostly in the MS60 to MS61 range. The present example has exceptional surfaces for the date with almost no marks atop soft, frosty luster. The color is exceptional as well with lovely light rose and green-gold hues seen on both sides. There is the barest trace of rub on the high spots of the obverse while the reverse grades at least MS61+ on its own. This is as nice a slider example of this date that I have seen. Trends jumps to $10,500 in MS60 and a nice, fresh Uncirculated example--if you can find one--is likely to cost you $11,000-13,000 or more.

1851-O $5.00 NGC AU58

1841-D $2.50 NGC AU58 CAC

The 1841-D is the fifth rarest Dahlonega quarter eagle. There are fewer than 100 known form an original mintage of just 4,164 coins. It is very rare in AU grades and extremely rare in Uncirculated with only four accounted for. The present example is one of the three best circulated 1841-D quarter eagles that I have seen and it is clearly the finest currently available to collectors. It shows lovely deep, natural green-gold color and this makes it an unusual coin as this date is almost never seen with original color. It is an early strike with no major cracks on either side and this is reflected by the overall detail which is exceptionally sharp for the issue. There are a few small marks seen, including a cluster of old, shallow ticks above the head of the eagle and a short, dull scrape on the neck below the curl dangling from the ear. There are auction records of over $12,000 for this date in this grade going back as far as the late 1990's. This is the only AU58 example of the 1841-D to have been approved by CAC and no finer ones have received a sticker.