1867 $5.00 NGC PR63 CAM

50 struck; around a dozen or so are known today. As with all proofs of this year the comparably "high" mintage of 50 is misleading as it is clear that a number went to the melting pot after going unsold. To date, NGC has graded just six Proof 1867 half egales while PCGS has graded eight; this figure, of course, includes regrades, crossovers, etc. This example is among the few affordable Proof half eagles of this era that is available. It has fully reflective surfaces that show no signs of cleaning but there are a few contact marks in the obverse fields; the reverse is clean and choice. There hasn't been a Proof of this date/denomination sold at auction since December 2009 and there are just eleven auction records since 2000. A Gem Proof example of this issue would cost at least three times the asking price of this piece if it were even available. An important piece of Proof gold for the savvy specialist.

1851-D $2.50 NGC EF40

I've noticed a real surge in interest in nicely toned branch mint gold and this makes sense. In silver and copper coins, you can have a $100 coin that is worth an enormous premium because of its great color. Why isn't the same true with gold coins, especially when they are so hard to find? This attractive 1851-D quarter eagle is well detailed with splashes of rich orange-gold and coppery-rose hues on the obverse and reverse. There is a small, shallow mint-made plnachet defect on the obverse between stars two and three and a few contact marks seen on both sides but this piece has great eye appeal. As a date, the 1851-D is far scarcer than the 1843-50 Dahlonega issues and it is extremely hard to find with good color.

1810 Large Date $5.00 PCGS AU58 CAC

BD-4. R-2. Well struck in green-gold with pronounced clashmarks on the obverse and some roughness in the die as struck. This piece is as original an example as one could hope for with deep, even green-gold color on the obverse and the reverse. There are a few light vertical and horizontal adjustment marks on the obverse that are very hard to see without magnification and I feel that they are not detracting. This piece probably never entered circulation but it does show some very light rub on the high spots meriting the assigned grade. The 1810 Large Date, Large 5 is the most available of the four major varieties of half eagle produced during this year. Since it gets no date premium for its rarity, it is an ideal coin to use for type purposes. This coin isn't priced at a level much higher than a schlocky, processed Capped Bust Left half eagle in AU58 and, as such, it represents a very good value for the connoisseur.

1863-S $20.00 NGC MS62 CAC

Most high grade 1863-S double eagles are from shipwrecks (primarily the S.S. Brother Jonathan) but this remarkable coin appears to have natural non-seawater surfaces and is very rare as such. It shows great overall detail with some of the hair not fully struck (as usual) but with bold radial lines on the stars on both sides; the surfaces are nearly free of marks and very vibrant with rich natural color that deepens at the borders. I handled a PCGS MS62 example of this date earlier this year (also with a CAC sticker) and it is hard to say which of these is better; suffice to say that both are Condition Census examples. The only significantly better 1863-S double eagle that I have seen in some time is Heritage 1/12: 5041, graded MS64* by NGC, that went reasonably for $43,125. Only three of this date have been approved by CAC in MS62 and none finer. To say the least, a very important opportunity for someone to really add to their Type One or Civil War era double eagle set.

1850 $20.00 NGC AU53 CAC

This numismatically significant issue is the first collectable double eagle from the Philadelphia mint and it has an appearance that tends to be much different than the Type One issues that follow it. It is typically found better struck and there are some higher grade coins (in the MS62/63 range) that have superb color and detail. Circulated examples are relatively available but many are heavily abraded and most have been dipped or messwed with. This naturally toned example has pleasing mdeium to deep green-gold color atop very clean surfaces. A few marks rest in the left obverse field; the reverse is choice and very crusty with lots of dirt caked into the recesses. This is an issue you can afford to be pretty picky when you are looking for one but I think tis example will meet the requirements of even the fussiest collector.

1807 Bust Left $5.00 PCGS MS62

BD-8, R-2. The new Bust Left variety was introduced in 1807 and continued until it was replaced in 1813. None of the issues made during this era are really rare except in higher grades and nice MS62 examples are, in my opinion, amongst the best values of this type. Properly graded MS62's are free of wear and really new but not priced out of the range of many early gold collectors. This attractive, frosty example shows the rich green-gold color that is typical to the issue but which is not seen on coins that have been processed. It is well struck and free of planchet issues; a few minor ticks in the fields keep it firmly within the MS62 level but it is far nicer than usual for the grade. An MS63 example of this date will cost you close to $10,000 more than an MS62 and I'm not really certain that, in most cases, this premium is justified.

1854 Large Date $20.00 NGC AU55

Large Date variety. After years of neglect, the 1854 Large Date has been acknowledged as one of the rarest Philadelphia Type One double eagles. It is screamingly rare in Uncirculated and nice AU55 to AU58 examples are about as high up on the ladder as most collectors can hope for. This attractive example was recently found in Europe (where you can imagine it was sold as a "common" variety) and it is one of the cleanest 1854 Large Dates that I have seen with just a few light, unobtrusive marks scattered in the fields. The color is a pleasing light to medium green-gold and this is exactly the "right" hue for the issue. This issue cracked the $10,000 mark in AU55 about five years ago and while other coins of comparable scarcity (1854-S and 1859, to name two) have exploded in value, this hasn't risen to the degree it should.

All 1854 Large Date double eagles can be identified by the presence of an obverse die clash that looks like a "spray" at the third curl from the bottom. There is also a raised die dot towards the truncation that can be seen even on well-worn examples.

1853 $20.00 PCGS AU55 CAC

If you like crusty Type One double eagles, you'll really like this coin. It has deep green-gold color with underlying flashes of rose and orange-gold. The detail is excellent and there is quite a bit of luster in the protected areas. At less than $3,000 you really can't go wrong with coins such as this.

1858-S $1.00 PCGS AU58

I'm a big fan of the San Francisco gold dollar coinage. They are very inexpensive in circulated gradces but are scarce and very easy to assemble a set. The 1858-S has a mintage of just 10,000 coins and it is almost never seen in Uncirculated. This nice AU58 is well struck and shows splashes of orange-gold color on the surfaces. An old reverse scratch runs from the rim at around 7:00 to the bow.