1862 $10.00 NGC MS60

In the "new" coin market of 2012, Liberty Head eagles have become among the most popular series with rarity-loving collectors. And formerly overlooked dates like the 1862 have grown greatly in stature. The 1862 eagle is scarce in any grade with probably less than 100 known from the original mintage of 10,960. When available, it tends to come in the EF40 to AU50 range and it is extremely scarce in AU55 to AU58. In Uncirculated, this date is a major rarity with just three known to me: the present example, a second NGC MS60 (ex Heritage 2003 ANA: 10437) and an NGC MS63 from the S.S. Republic that is off the market in the finest collection of Liberty Head eagles. The example I offer here is nearly fully lustrous and unquestionably free of wear with rich rose and yellow-gold color. As is befitting an MS60 Civil War gold coin, this piece does have some dense marks but these are mostly confined to the fields and they are shallow and well-dispersed. This is an extremely important coin for the collector of Liberty Head eagles or rare, high grade Civil War coinage and it represents what may be the only chance you have in many, many years to obtain an Uncirculated example of an 1862 eagle.

1867 $20.00 PCGS MS60 CAC

A few decades ago, a small hoard of Uncirculated 1867 double eagles was uncovered. These coins are easy to spot as they tend to have great color and luster and plenty of abrasions from rough handling when shipped loose in bags. The present example is clearly from this hoard but it is less abraded than most and it shows lovely rich orange-gold color with tinges of underlying green and rose. I have seen a number of comparable 1867 double eagles graded MS61 by both services and this is a great type example for the collector who wants a better date Type Two double eagle for inclusion in his set of U.S. gold coins.

1839/8 $2.50 NGC MS60

The 1839 quarter eagle is a rarer coin in Uncirculated than the better-known Charlotte and Dahlonega issues of this year yet it is priced at about half as much. It is not only the most undervalued Classic Head quarter eagle by a long shot, it is a coin whose virtues I have long extolled as among the best values in all of the rare date gold market. In Uncirculated there are probably fewer than ten known and the best I have personally seen is a PCGS MS62 that Heritage sold as Lot 6189 back in their June 2004 auction. At the recent Long Beach sale there was a small hoard of 1839 quarter eagles that was made available to me. Most of the coins were circulated but there was an NGC MS60 and a PCGS MS61 CAC that were priced at $9,500 and $13,750 respectively. I feel that the MS60 I am offering here is a nicer coin than its MS60 counterpart as this one has much of its original skin and pleasing butter-yellow color. There is a bit of chatter on the portrait and a thin, old scratch from star three to the mouth of Liberty that limits the grade. A great buy for the savvy quarter eagle specialist.

1824 $5.00 NGC MS60 CAC

BD-1, High R-5. A total of just 30-40 examples are known for this date. As with most of the half eagles from the 1820's, this issue was almost completed eradicated by melting. The 1824 is at least twice as rare as the 1823 and comparable in rarity to the 1826. I regard it as just a hair rarer than the 1827. As with nearly all the dates from this era, the 1824 saw very little circulation and many of the survivors grade MS63 to MS65. The present example has no real wear but it does show some cabinet friction on the high spots and light, scattered marks on the surfaces including a small dig below the second S in PLURIBUS on the motto. The color is a pale green-gold and the luster is satiny in texture. I don't generally like coins graded MS60 but this piece has very good eye appeal and it is clearly nicer than what you'd expect to see in an AU58 holder. As one might guess, there has never been an MS60 example of the 1824 half eagle sold at auction. The last piece to sell was a superb PCGS MS63 that I bought out of the 2012 FUN sale (as Lot 4675) where it brought $126,500. In the same auction, a nice PCGS AU58+ example of the 1827 (a date that I personally think is just a tiny bit more available than the 1824) sold for $54,625; it is now on another dealer's website priced at $65,000. Fat Head half eagles from the 1820's and 1830's are finally being recognized for their extreme rarity and it may be years before the collector has another chance to purchase an 1824 in any grade.

1847-C $5.00 NGC MS60 CAC

This is the second lovely Uncirculated example of this conditionally rare issue that I have handled this year; earlier, I sold an NGC MS61 with a similar appearance as part of the Logan's Landing Collection. When you hear the grade "MS60" you typically think of a coin that is riddled with marks or which is characterized by some sort of flaw. This MS60 1847-C half eagle is fully original with attractive deep green-gold color that changes to subtle coppery-red hues in the fields when the coin is tilted towards a light source. The strike is razor sharp and the surfaces are extremely clean with just a few small, unobtrusive marks on the cheek and in the left obverse field; the reverse is clean, choice and would grade at least MS62 on its own. This is one of fewer than a dozen known examples in Uncirculated and it is certainly one of just a tiny handful that are totally original.