1858-D $1.00 NGC AU55

This is as original an example of this popular Type Three issue as you are likely to find with deep, natural green-gold and reddish colors atop clean surfaces. The strike is well above average for the issue with strong lettering, a sharp date and a full mintmark. While actually fairly available by the standards of Dahlonega gold dollars of this era, the 1858-D is not easy to locate with original surfaces and this piece is really exceptional from the standpoint of appearance. It would be hard to find a better example at this price point and this coin is just perfect for a new collector who is getting started with a Dahlonega type set.

1857-O $10.00 NGC AU55

With a mintage of just 5,000 coins, the 1857-O is among the rarest No Motto eagles. It is an issue that remains unknown in Uncirculated and there are only three to five that I am aware of which can properly be graded as AU58. For most advanced collectors of No Motto eagles, AU55 is the finest grade in which this date is realistically available and choice, original examples are offered about once every two to four years. The present piece is fresh to the market and it is characterized by lovely intense reddish gold color at the borders which frames rich yellow-gold centers. There is some residual prooflike luster seen in the protected areas and the surfaces lack the dense abrasions that characterize this issue. The last APR for an AU55 1857-O eagle is Heritage 3/10: 2438, graded by NGC, which went for $6,900 but which was not as nice as this coin. Before this, there were only two other slabbed AU55's sold since 2000. Obviously, this is a rare coin and it is an important opportunity to fill a hole that exists in most New Orleans eagle sets.

1880 $3.00 PCGS MS64 CAC

Only 1,000 business strikes were produced. The 1880 is an issue that has been popular ever since it was struck. Quantities were saved by contemporary collectors, dealers and hoarders who knew of its small mintage and speculated on it become a rarity someday. It did, a century later, and today's collectors like this date not only for its low mintage but its appearance. This lovely borderline Gem has superb rose, green-gold and orange colors atop vibrant, frosty surfaces. A few small abrasions on the obverse narrowly remove this coin from a higher grade but it has superb overall eye appeal. It is my belief that the PCGS and NGC populations for this date are way inflated, especially in MS64 and MS65 grades. A fantastic coin for a type collector and the exact sort of a coin that, if this series begins to regain its past popularity, has great upside.

1859 $3.00 PCGS MS63 CAC

Let's say that you want a nice PCGS MS63 Three Dollar gold piece for your type set. You can buy a common date like an 1874 or an 1878 in this grade for around $5,000-5,500. Or you can spend an additional few thousand dollars and buy a coin that is genuinely scarce in this grade. To me, that's what makes this choice 1859 three dollar such an appealing coin. It is totally original and very high end for the grade with rich luster that is dusted with pale green-gold and rose shades. There are a few ticks in the left field and at the central reverse but the naked-eye appearance rivals coins of this date that I have seen in MS64. The 1859 is scarce in MS63, rare in MS64 and virtually unavailable in Gem. The last PCGS MS63 to sell at auction was Heritage 12/11: 4505 that brought $7,763.

1846-D/D $5.00 PCGS MS61 CAC

D over D mintmark variety. 1846-D half eagles are known with a normal mintmark and a spectacular D over D that ranks as one of the great mintmark blunders of the era. The 1846-D/D is the more available of the two and there are around ten or so known in Uncirculated grades. This example is well struck and very frosty with lovely light green-gold and yellowish colors on the obverse and reverse. There are a few small ticks in the fields and a shallow planchet void on Liberty's face that is hard to see without light magnification. The last PCGS MS61 example of this variety to sell at auction was Goldberg 5/08: 4668, at $10,350, which was not approved by CAC and which, in my opinion, was far inferior to the present coin. This is an excellent opportunity for the advanced collector to obtain a Condition Census example of one of the neatest varieties ever produced at a branch mint.

This is the only 1846-D/D half eagle in any Uncirculated grade to have been approved by CAC.

1862-S $2.50 PCGS AU58

i just purchased the finest known example of this date, a PCGS MS63+, for $43,700 at the recent Goldberg 2/12 sale of the Helem collection. The present example, while obviously not in the same league, is still far, far above-average for the date and grade. Not to mention the fact that it is around one sixth of the price (!) The 1862-S is among the rarest SF quarter eagles in all grades and it is extremely rare in Uncirculated with just two or three known. I am aware of maybe four or five properly graded AU58's of which this example is among the nicest. It is well struck, lightly worn and lustrous with just a few small marks seen on the obverse. It is likely that this coin never saw actual circulation and the reason that it grades "58" is due to some handling and light rubbing on the high spots. Coins like this seem undervalued to me in comparison to the C and D mint quarter eagles from the 1850's.

1861 $10.00 NGC MS61

While common in all circulated grades, the 1861 is scarce in Uncirculated and very rare in MS62 and above. It is the only Civil War eagle that is even remotely a possibility for the collector to obtain in Uncirculated and I believe that the population figures for MS60 to MS62 coins are way inflated, giving a false sense of availability for an issue that is actually quite rare and seldom offered for sale at auction or private treaty. This example is choice and fresh with excellent frosty luster below natural light orange-gold color. There are enough small, scattered marks on the obverse and reverse to limit the grade but this is a truly attractive example with good eye appeal.

1839/8 $10.00 PCGS EF45

In 1838 and 1839, the first variety of the Liberty Head eagle was produced. It is easy to spot with a curved neckline on the portrait and the tip of the tiara very close to the sixth star on the obverse. The 1839/8 is the more available of the two issues but its status as a distinct type make it very popular with collectors. This dirty example has rich yellow gold undertones below russet highlights on the obverse and the reverse. This date saw intense circulation in local commerce and this coin is not an exception as it has a number of abrasions that indicate being used. But there is good detail and a significant amount of mint luster shows on both sides. This date becomes expensive in the AU grades so for many collectors, a nice PCGS EF40 to EF45 example is ideal for their gold coin type set.

1883 $1.00 NGC PR64 Cameo CAC

A total of 207 were Proof gold dollars were minted in 1883. Based on the PCGS and NGC population data, I'd guess that as few as 50-60 are known with most of these in the PR64 to PR66 range. This example has incredible eye appeal for the grade with the naked eye appearance of a coin that grades at least a point or two higher. There is a small mint-made lintmark right at the tip of the bust that NGC must have felt limited the grade but there are a virtual absence of hairlines or friction on the cheek that you typically see on Proof coins of this era graded 64. In my opinion, a coin like this is simply outstanding value as it is one of the few legitimately scarce pieces of Proof gold you can buy in this price range that is not terribly impaired or relatively common. This is the only 1883 gold dollar in PR64 to have been approved by CAC; three finer examples have been approved as well.