1872-S $20.00 PCGS AU58 CAC

This lovely, high end "slider" has warm golden-orange color on the obverse and reverse and just a touch of rub on the high spots. There is a good deal of luster visible and the reverse, on its own accord, is at least an MS61. While certainly not a rare date in this grade, it is not easy to find an 1872-S in AU58 with this amount of eye appeal.

1851-O $1.00 NGC MS65 CAC

Old NGC "fatty" holder. Until a group of twenty or so Gem 1851-O gold dollars was found a few years ago, this issue was nearly unobtainable in Gem. The present example is clearly not from this source as it is in a holder that pre-dates the discovery of these coins and it has a different appearance as well. This coin is struck as sharply as one could hope for with all of the detail that you'd expect to see on a Philadelphia gold dollar of this era. It shows superb thick mint frost with appealing medium green-gold and rose color on the obverse; the reverse tends a bit more towards an orange-gold hue. There is an obverse die crack from the rim at about 9:00 to the eye of Liberty that should not be mistaken for a scratch; the reverse shows a few minor scuffs including one below the E in STATES. MS65 examples of this date have sold at auction from a low of around $6,500-7,000 (for pieces that were not choice) to a high of $11,000-12,000. At the current price level, I think a Gem New Orleans gold dollar is a tremendous value and this is the only 1851-O in MS65 to have currently received approval at CAC.

1858-D $5.00 NGC AU50 CAC

Nice even deep toning on the obverse favors russet and green-gold hues with greater depth seen at the borders than at the centers. The strike is sharp and even while the surfaces are free of significant marks. The 1858-D is certainly not a rare date but it seen far less often than the 1852-D, 1853-D and 1854-D half eagles. A nice, affordable type coin for the new collector who wants a solid, attractive Dahlonega half eagle for under three thousand

1851-C $1.00 PCGS AU55 CAC

The 1851-C is to Charlotte gold dollars as the 1881-S is to Morgan Dollars. In other words, it is the generic issue in the series and a coin that is rather available in most grades. Except for the fact that there are under 1,000 1851-C dollars while there are tens of thousands of 1881-S dollars. This pleasing mid-level AU has medium green gold color, good detail and very acceptable surfaces. A small mark through the A in DOLLAR doesn't detract and the light weakness at the central reverse is typical for the issue. How can you not love a Charlotte gold dollar of this quality priced at less than two grand?

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.