1846-D/D $5.00 PCGS AU53 CAC

D over D mintmark variety. I'm going to go out on a limb here and state that this is one of the loveliest circulated Dahlonega half eagles of any date that I have seen in some times. Both the obverse and the reverse are covered with thick warm amber-gold color which is slightly more intense in hue on the reverse than on the obverse. The fields are extremely clean with no marks of note and the strike is excellent with sharp, even detail seen at the centers and borders. A few spots of dirt can be seen on the reverse above and below the D in UNITED. Locating Dahlonega half eagles of this quality has always been difficult and the 1846-D/D is an extremely scarce variety with this degree of originality. A great coin for the connoisseur who appreciates extreme originality.

The 1846-D/D is a spectacular naked-eye variety on which the original mintmark punch was too high and then another was placed directly below it. It is scarce in terms of overall availability but it is actually seen more in high grades than its Normal Mintmark counterpart.

1851-D $5.00 PCGS EF45

In collector grades (i.e., VF and EF) the 1851-D is one of the more difficult Dahlonega half eagles to find. When available, it is inevitably softly struck, bright from having been dipped and heavily abraded. This deeply toned, sharply struck example is a welcome exception. It displays rich natural russet-gold color with some purplish iridescence surrounding the stars, date and reverse lettering. The surfaces are free of any significant marks and the strike is exceptional for the date with completely defined centers and a strong mintmark placed far to the right. On the reverse, there is a good deal of dirt adhering to the lettering and within the lines of the shield. In my experience, this date, along with the 1848-D, is the most underrated half eagle from this mint and pieces of this quality are genuinely scarce.

1853-D Large D $5.00 PCGS AU50 CAC

I searched long and hard for nice Dahlonega half eagles at the recent ANA show and there were next to none available. This tells me that these coins are currently very popular and the collectors who have been buying them over the years have no intention of selling them anytime soon. The present example is solid for the grade with nice surfaces and pleasing rich green-gold color. There is some dirt caked into the recesses of the stars and through the lettering on much of the reverse. This coin would be perfect for the type collector as it is well-made and very affordable.