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Small D mintmark variety. With decent EF examples of this date now bringing in the $2000-2250+ range, how can you not like a solid-for-the-grade PCGS AU50 for just a few hundred bucks more? This example is dirty and original with deep natural green-gold color that is accentuated by a swath of darker color in the right obverse field. As is typical for the date, the strike is bold and this would make a great (and affordable) D mint quarter eagle type coin.
This low mintage issue (4,078 struck) is one of the harder Dahlonega quarter eagles to find with unmolested surfaces and deep original color. The present example, which is completely fresh-to-the-market is one of the very few 1852-D quarter eagles that I have seen that has absolutely never been cleaned or dipped. It is well struck and well made with lovely deep green-gold color and plenty of dirt in the recesses. I think this coin is clearly superior to most of the examples of this date that I have seen in AU55 holders and I doubt if there are more than a half dozen known (of this date) that show this degree of originality. Dahlonega quarter eagles of this quality are almost never offered for sale and this 1852-D is destined for a very high quality date set. This is the only 1852-D in AU50 approved by CAC with just one example (an NGC MS62) better.
The 1856-S is the only Type Two gold dollar from the San Francisco and it is one of four one-year types of this design (along with the 1855-C, 1855-D and 1855-O). The 1856-S is not an especially rare issue but it is popular and very hard to find with original color and surfaces. This piece has lovely natural green-gold and orange hues on the obverse and reverse and it is nicer than most 1856-S dollars that I see offered for sale in AU55 holders. This is the variety with the crazily doubled mintmark on the reverse (it is common but extremely cool) and there is a massive obverse crack from the throat down into the left field.
The 1848-C half eagle is reasonably available in lower grades but it becomes scarce in properly graded AU and it is very rare in Uncirculated. This is a date that is not often seen with original color and surfaces. This particular example has attractive deep green-gold hues with some reddish overtones noted on the obverse. The strike is better than average for the issue while the surfaces are clean but for two small digs near stars eleven and twelve. With really low quality EF examples of Charlotte half eagles selling for $2,000-2,250 this nice AU50 seems like a great value at less than $3,000.
Only 9,100 were struck and the 1859-O is the fourth rarest double eagle from this mint trailing the 1854-O, 1856-O and 1855-O. There are less than 100 examples known in all grades with around twenty or so in the various AU grades and another three in Uncirculated. For most collectors, the 1859-O (along with the 1860-O) represents one of the biggest expenditures in their Type One double eagle set. But this is a frustrating issue as it is rarely seen with good eye appeal as a result of poor strike and heavy abrasions. And that's why I think that this is a special example. It is better struck than usual for the date with good overall detail at the centers and borders. The surfaces show a few minor, scattered marks but are free of the deep abrasions that are so often seen. The color is a pleasing light, even green gold hue and this rests atop some prooflike flash. Since March 2007, there have been five seperate APR's at Heritage for AU50 examples of this date: three in PCGS holders and two graded by NGC. Prices have ranged from a low of $34,500 to a high of $37,375. An important coin for the advanced New Orleans gold collector.
Most examples of this date are extremely abraded and this piece, with its nice natural color, is far cleaner than usual. The cosmetic appeal and affordability of this 1890-CC double eagle makes it a perfect coin for the new collector who wants a pleasing piece for less than $3,000.
Choice and high end for the grade with deep natural orange-gold and reddish hues that are contrasted by darker hues on the rims. A small reeding mark on the hair keeps this coin from grading AU53 to AU55. The 1859-S double eagle is a reasonably obtainable issue in this grade but it is hard to find with natural color and without deep, detracting abrasions.
Old Green Holder. By today's grading standards, I feel that this coin is at least an AU55. It has beautiful deep natural orange-gold color atop slightly prooflike surfaces that exhibit relatively few marks for the grade. This coin is almost certainly from an overseas source and it has a "Euro" look but with less darkening on the surfaces than usual. The typical dipped, processed AU50 example of this date is an easy sale to a dealer who doesn't care about quality for $3,000 or even a bit more. For a few hundred dollars extra, you can purchase a gorgeous, unmolested example that is one of just eight 1833-CC double eagles in AU50 that has been approved by CAC.
In terms of overall rarity, the 1842-O is the third most difficult New Orleans quarter eagle to find after the 1845-O and the 1843-O Large Date. Only 19,800 were struck and survivors number below 150 with most showing heavy circulation. This frosty, original example shows rich green-gold surfaces punctuated by splashes of reddish-gold. There is quite a bit of mint luster present and not that much actual wear. As is so often the case with this date, the strike is somewhat flat at the centers and this has caused PCGS to be a bit conservative on the grade that they have assigned, in my opinion. Amazingly, there have been no PCGS graded AU50 examples of this date sold at auction since the Heritage 3/01: 2257 coin which brought $1,600 a decade ago. This is the only AU50 example of this date to have received CAC approval.
