1849-C CW $1.00 PCGS AU50

Closed Wreath variety. This popular first-year-of-issue is considerably scarcer than the 1851-C, 1852-C and 1853-C dollars but it sells for only a small premium in the EF and AU grades. As with all examples, the obverse appears more worn than the reverse due to a concave die but this piece is solid for the grade with considerable luster and nice light to medium green-gold color contrasted by some coppery-rose shadings on the obverse. The surfaces are lightly scuffed and show a degree of originality not often seen on this issue. You'd be hard-pressed to find a better 1849-C Closed Wreath gold dollar in this price range.

1856-S $20.00 PCGS MS63 CAC

While not indicated as such on the insert of the holder, my guess is that this coin is from the S.S. Central America shipwreck. It doesn't have the "look" that most of the coins from this source show but the luster is just a tiny bit semi-matte in texture and the color, a medium orange-gold hue, is suggestive of some exposure to seawater. Regardless of its origin, this coin has amazing detail, exceptional surfaces and a really great look for an early date San Francisco Type One issue. There are just a few tiny scuffs in the fields that are hard to see with the naked eye and a tiny pinprick-sized grease stain on the cheek is mentioned solely for future identification. The 1856-S is many, many times rarer in this grade than the 1857-S and to find any date other than the 1857-S in MS63 (and with this appearance) is no easy task. The last PCGS MS63 1856-S double eagle to sell at auction was Heritage 1/10: 2245 that realized $15,525 and PCGS MS63 examples have been routinely bringing between $12,000 and 14,000 at auction since early 2005.

1862 $20.00 PCGS EF40

The 1862 is the rarest Type One double eagle from the Philadelphia mint, eclipsing the 1859 and the 1863. It is hard to find in all grades and when available, it tends to be very unappealing. This example, which was recently located in Europe and which is identifiable as such by the plastic "gasket" that PCGS uses for coins they grade in their Paris office, is one of the few totally original examples of this date that I can recall seeing. It has deep, even orange-gold and greenish hues with very choice surfaces and sharp detail. There is some hidden luster within the protected areas and, to be honest, I think the coin is much closer to being an EF45 than an EF40. No EF40 examples have appeared at auction since Heritage 12/08: 6325 (graded by NGC) brought $6,325 and the present example is, in my opinion, as nice (or even nicer) than Heritage 9/20: 5570 (graded EF45 by NGC) that realized $8,625. An important Type One double eagle for the advanced collector.

1890-CC $20.00 PCGS AU58 CAC

Superbly toned in deep orange-gold hues with appealing deeper highlights offering contrast between the devices and the fields. This coin appears to have no real wear but is instead a "slider" due to some scuffs in the fields and light rubbing on the devices. Some abrasions can be seen in the obverse fields while the reverse is clean and choice. A decidely nicer coin than many of the 1890-CC double eagles that I see in MS60 and MS61 holders and an issue that is becoming hard to find with this degree of originality.

1892-CC $20.00 NGC MS60

This coin is absolutely "new" with no wear noted on the high spots or rubbing but it is a bit on the baggy side from a sojourn in a mint bag. From the standpoint of luster and body, the coin approximates an MS62 but I think the MS60 grade is accurate given the scuffs that can be seen on both sides. That said, this coin has pleasing overall eye appeal with a slightly Prooflike finish and very attractive reddish-gold color on the central obverse. It is not uncommon for this date to be extensively abraded but it is rare for examples to be as flashy and vibrant as this. A very solid coin for the grade and good value as the 1892-CC becomes very expensive (and hard to locate) as one travels up the grading scale.

1847-D $2.50 PCGS EF45 CAC

If I had to choose one date as the ideal type coin in the Dahlonega quarter eagle series, it would probably be the 1847-D. When available, there are some pieces with superb color and I have handled some in the EF and AU grades that have had absolutely scintillating deep original color. This choice example has lovely rich green and reddish-gold color which is characteristic of uncleaned, natural 1847-D quarter eagles. It is lightly and evenly worn with good detail and both sides have choice surfaces save for a few faint, shallow nicks in the left obverse field that are consistent with the grade. Dahlonega quarter eagles of this quality are becoming really hard to locate.

1851 $20.00 PCGS MS61

The 1851 is the second year of issue for the Type One design (not including, of course, the 1849) and while common in all circulated grades it is rare in Uncirculated, especially in MS62 or above. When this date comes nice it tends to have much better eye appeal than the 1852-1854 dates and this example clearly shows wonderful overall eye appeal. The naked-eye appearance of this coin resembles an MS63 with superb natural green-gold color and a razor-sharp strike. There are a few very fine lines in the fields that limit the grade but these are hard to see unless the coin is tilted towards a light source. I personally like this coin more than the small handful of MS62's that I've seen sell at auction in the last few years (generally in the $13,000-16,000 range) and it would fit well into even the finest set of Liberty Head double eagles.

1852-O $20.00 NGC AU58 CAC

I'm going to go out on a limb here and state that this coin is one of the single finest AU58 New Orleans double eagles of any date that I have ever seen. In arecent auction appearance it set an all-time record price for an AU58 1852-O (more on this below) and with good reason: it is absolutely stunning. In the very same sale in which this appeared,there was an 1852-O double eagle graded MS65 by NGC. While that coin was certainly incredible, I'd personally rather have this coin at one-fourteenth of the price and use the leftover funds to acquire other neat coins. Before this coin recently surfaced, it had been off the market for at least two decades as part of the Henry Miller collection. It has the naked-eye appearance of an MS62 to MS63 with superb deep original orange-gold color, semi-prooflike surfaces and a virtual absence of marks. There is just one small little area of rub on the obverse and since it is located on the cheek of Liberty, it is more obvious to the eye than if it were, say, in the fields. Interestingly, the buyer of this coin in the Miller sale was one of the sharpest wholesale "breakout" dealers that I know and, as he told me when I was buying this coin from recently, this is exactly the sort of coin that NGC (and PCGS) have called MS61 (or finer) in the recent past. The new owner of this coin can count on having one of the most attractive New Orleans double eagles known--of any date or in any grade!

Ex Heritage 1/11: 5242 where it sold for $19,550. Previously, it was in the Henry Miller collection and it was probably obtained sometime before 1980.

1854-S $10.00 NGC AU55

As a rule, I like coins with real historic significance and the 1854-S eagle certainly falls into this category as it is the very first Liberty Head eagle struck at the San Francisco mint. Unlike the exceedingly rare quarter eagle and half eagle dated 1854-S, the eagle is a relatively obtainable issue although it is uncommon in AU55, rare in AU58 and extremely rare in Uncirculated. This example is clean for the issue with just a few small marks noted on the obverse. The light gold surfaces retain a bit of luster and the strike is very sharp for the issue.