1853 $20.00 PCGS EF45 CAC

This very attractive Type One double eagle shows deep green-gold color with nicely contrasting darker hues on the relief details. It is evenly worn and problem-free with far more eye appeal than usual for the date and grade. An affordable and excellent introduction to the antebellum double eagles from this mint.

1855-C $2.50 NGC AU55+

The 1855-C is among the rarest Charlotte quarter eagles from the standpoint of number known. It used to be one of the two or three rarest in high grades but enough have turned up in AU55 to MS62 in recent years that this date now trails issues such as the 1841-C, 1842-C and 1849-C. Nonetheless, an accurately graded Choice AU example is scarce and this lustrous slider is very close to being "new." I'm not sure why NGC didn't grade it a full AU58 (this is what I expected when I submitted it) as it certainly has the luster and body of many of the 1855-C quarter eagles that I have seen in AU58 holders. Some slight weakness of strike at the central reverse is typical for the issue and might be the cause of this conservative grade. This is the only AU55+ that NGC has graded for this date. A good value as an AU58 would cost close to five figures yet wouldn't be any nicer.

1840-D Tall D $5.00 PCGS VF30 CAC

The 1840-D half eagle is numismatically significant as the first date of this type to have the mintmark placed on the reverse. 1840 also saw a redesign of the obverse with the head placed differently in relation to the fifth and sixth stars as well as the neckline being less curved than in 1839. As a date, the 1840-D is quite scarce in all grades and it is seen far less often than any of the other dates of this decade except for the 1842-D Large Date. The present example appears undergraded and I personally think it is right on the border of the VF35/EF40 line. The surfaces are clean and problem-free with lovely deep, even green-gold color. A bit of dirt can be seen in the protected areas and the overall look is that of originality. A great coin for the new-to-the-market collector or the old-hand Dahlonega specialist who just appreciates affordable, original half eagles.

Ex Littlejohn Sale (Lot 575) where it sold for $2,070

1857-O $5.00 NGC AU55

There were no less than five different mints striking half eagles in 1857 and the New Orleans version is actually the rarest of these. The 1857-O is an interesrting issue both because of its overall scarcity and its numismatic significance as it is the last of the limited No Motto production from this mint (half eagles didn't resume at New Orleans until 1892). The 1857-O is a very scarce coin in the higher AU grades and it is extremely rare in Uncirculated with just three known to me. This example is semi-prooflike with nice flashes of original luster below medium lime-gold color. There is a short scratch on the obverse beow stars five and six and a small scrape on the reverse underneath the second T in STATES. Auction records show that this date become available in the AU55 to AU58 grade range at a pace of around once or twice every few years, making this an important and attractive piece for the specialist.

1841-C $5.00 PCGS EF45 CAC

Attractively toned with deep golden hues that are contrasted by deeper russet and violet flashes at the right obverse and across the fields on the reverse. From the standpoint of remaining luster and "body," this piece probably grades AU50 or a touch better but it is a touch on the abraded side with some old marks seen in the fields on both sides. I have noticed that Liberty Head gold coins in circulated grades with premium coloration have begun to sell for premium prices in the last year or so. I believe that this is due to the fact that sophisticated collectors are tired of character-free pieces and are willing to step up to the plate for coins with "one in a hundred" color. As a date, the 1841-C is scarcer than most people realize and, like most of the early date half eagles from this mint, it is hard to find in circulated grades with good color and eye appeal.

Ex Littlejohn Sale (Lot 578) where it sold for $2,645

1847-O $5.00 PCGS VF35 CAC

The 1847-O is the single rarest half eagle from the New Orleans mint both in terms of overall and high grade rarity. It is a rarer coin than such as issues as the 1842-D Large Date and 1861-D half eagles, despite selling for a considerable discount to both of these. The present example is quite conservatively graded, in my opinion, and looks to be closer to an EF40 or even a bit better. It is among the few 1847-O half eagles that I have seen with original color and surfaces and about the only negative thing I can say about it is the fact that the mintmark is a bit weakly impressed on the right side. Both sides show nice green-gold color and the overall eye appeal is far above-average for the issue. An excellent opportunity to purchase a truly rare coin for less than the price of many far more common issues.

Ex Littlejohn Collection (Lot 605) where it sold for $4,025

1851 $5.00 PCGS MS61 CAC

While very common in circulated grades, the 1851 half eagle is quite scarce in Uncirculated and really rare in MS62 and above. Unlike nearly any other MS61 example of this date that I have seen, this example is very fresh and flashy with great frosty luster and nice natural medium green-gold color. A few light scuffs in the left obverse field narrowly remove this from a grade of at least MS62. This is one of just two MS61 examples of this date that have been approved by CAC with two finer. An affordable yet impressive No Motto type coin and a great value at less than three thousand dollars.
br> Ex Heritage 1/09: 5413 where it sold for $2,760.

A Bechtler $1.00, 27 Grains, 21 Carat, PCGS AU58

August Bechtler Dollar, 27 Grains 21 Carat Variety. Every now and then I buy a coin that is so cool that I strongly contemplate putting it away in the Doug Winter personal collection. I strongly considered doing just that with this astonishing Bechtler Dollar. This is quite possibly the most beautifully toned gold coin of any type or era that I have seen. It shows dazzling dramatic multi-colored hues with reds, orange, purple and aquas on the obverse and, in a slightly different configuration, on the reverse. Beneath the color, the surfaces appear to be slightly reflective and this helps to amplify the intensity of the aforementioned shades. If I didn't know for certain that this coin was fresh to the market and from an old time collection, I'd wonder if this color was real but I can state with certainty that it is. I also believe that the coin is significantly undergraded as it appears to be free of wear and better than other Bechtler Dollars offered for sale in MS61 and even MS62 holders. For the Southern gold collector, owning a few Bechtler coin is essential and you'll never find an example of this obtainable type with better eye appeal than the present example.

1847-D $2.50 NGC AU55 CAC

Very lustrous and with enough "body" to grade AU58 but properly called an AU55 due to the presence of a reeding mark on the obverse along the nose as well as another on the reverse below the left wing. The 1847-D is among the more available Dahlonega quarter eagles in higher grades but it is not all that easy to locate with the amount of luster that this piece shows.