1864-S $10.00 PCGS VF30 CAC

With the exception of the 1875, the 1864-S is the rarest Liberty Head eagle. There are fewer than two dozen known and years can go by without the advanced collector having an opportunity to acquire an example. This fresh piece, which was just graded by PCGS after being off the market for decades, is a "gem" for the grade despite being "only" a VF30. Detail-wise, it is close to being a full EF and I think PCGS was conservative due to the weakness of strike on the eagle's neck feathers which is diagnostic for the date. The color is lovely with deep russet shades which change to iridescence at the date and the left stars; the reverse has a natural ring of concentric color at the border. This coin has the look of a piece that might have been stored in a leather pouch and the surfaces are incredibly clean for the issue. In the recent "secret" Rumsey auction held in February, a vastly inferior PCGS VF30 with signs of cleaning and a large reverse scratch sold for $34,500 with the buyer's premium. This piece is far, far nicer and it represents a fantastic opportunity for the advanced collector to obtain one of the rarest gold coins ever produced at the San Francisco mint.

1802/1 $5.00 NGC VF35 CAC

Early gold tended not to circulate extensively and, as a result, it is very hard to find coins like Bust Right half eagles in grades below EF45. This piece shows a decent amount of wear but it is surprisingly original and free of problems. In fact, the detail is suggestive of an EF40 to EF45 coin but it appears that NGC deducted some points on the grading scale due to some old marks clustered in the obverse fields. Both sides are well-detailed and show nice old green-gold color which is contrasted by flashes of reddish-gold and sunset orange. I doubt that are many more early half eagles in this grade range that are pleasing enough to merit a CAC sticker and this is essentially the best available quality in today market at less than $7,500. If you have been looking for a coin of this sort, I'd urge you to give me a call ASAP as it could be some time before I find another!

1893-O $5.00 PCGS MS62

The 1893-O is the most available of the three With Motto Liberty Head half eagles produced at this mint. It is common in circulated grades and not especially hard to find in MS60 to MS61. Properly graded, lightly abraded MS62's are scarce and this date is rare above this level. This example is solid for the grade with natural medium yellow-gold color, no marks of note and good overall detail.

1861-S $20.00 PCGS AU58

Due to a lack of coins being found in shipwrecks, the 1861-S Normal Reverse is the hardest San Francisco double eagle from the Civil War to find in higher grades. In fact, it is very rare in full MInt State and this AU58 "slider" is about as nice an example as what is generally available for the issue. This piece has just a slight amount of wear seen on the high spots and some minor luster breaks in the obverse fields. There two or three small blackish areas of discoloration on the obverse where the copper used to alloy the gold in the planchet was not alloyed properly.

1861 $20.00 PCGS AU58

This clean, original piece likely never entered circulation but has a bit of rub on the high spots. That said, I think its a nicer coin than the PCGS vMS62 example of this date that I sold recently at more than double the price. This is the most afforable Civil War double eagle in higher grades.

1807 Bust Right $5.00 PCGS MS62

BD-5, High R-6.. In 1807, two varieties of half eagle were struck: the old Capped Right and the new Bust Left. Of the two, the former is scarcer, especially in higher grades. This is a delightful example for the date with a really "fresh" appearance that suggests an MS63 grade, Both sides show lovely rich yellow-gold and reddish-orange colors and this piece has never been dipped or processed unlike so much early gold. The strike is very slightly weak at the centers as is common for this die variety and there are a few minor mint-made adjustment marks on the obverse rim from 3:00 to 5:00. There are no less than five die cracks seen on the obverse including a few terminal state ones; clearly the dies for this varirty were about to break apart as this coin was made. Although I am not asking a rarity premium for it, BD-5 is believed to have only twenty or so pieces known and most are in lower grades. A wonderful type coin for the collector who insists on freshness with his early gold purchases and a date that is undervalued in this grade and with this degree of eye apopeal.

1857-O $2.50 NGC MS61 CAC

This is a numismatically significant issue as it is the final quarter eagle made at the New Orleans mint. It is also scarce in properly graded Uncirculated, especially with natural color and surfaces. This very fresh example shows nice rich orange-gold color atop clean, frosty surfaces. A small speck of dirt at the LI in LIBERTY further attests to its originality and this is a premium coin for the date and grade.

1889 $10.00 PCGS MS61

Not many people are aware of this date's true scarcity but only 4,485 business strikes were made and until some AU55 to MS61 examples were located in Europe a few years ago, it was almost never seen above the AU50 level. This bright lustrous example is typical for the issue in that it has a number of abrasions on the surfaces; it seems that most of the survivors were shipped loose in bags to Europe and picked up some chatter on the way. There is no rub on the high spots and enough body remains to suggest a grade of at least a point higher. The last PCGS MS61 to appear at auction was Heritage 11/11: 4379 that sold for $6,038. That coin was just a bit nicer than the present example (and it had a CAC sticker) but this coin is priced at a more affordable level. A good value for the savvy collector of Liberty Head eagles

1884-CC $20.00 NGC MS60

Not like I had anything to do with it (ahem...) but I've noted that CC double eagles have become more and more popular in the last few years, especially in the $5,000-10,000 range. It wasn't that long ago that I could find a decent number of these at shows but those days seem long gone and now I'm lucky to find one or two nice, fresh coins like this 1884-CC at a major convention. This choice, frosty example has lovely rich orange-gold color with contrasting darker highlights on both sides. For the grade, the surfaces are extremely clean and I've seen many pieces with "busier" surfaces in MS60 holders. The 1884-CC is among the more available double eagles from this mint and it tends to be well-produced, making it perfect for use as a type coin.