1851-O $20.00 NGC EF40

Everyone wants to own at least one double eagle from the New Orleans mint but with prices approaching five figures for a decent-but-not-mindblowing AU example, not everyone can afford one. How about a pleasing, evenly worn EF piece for a shade under four thousand bucks? This problem-free 1851-O has medium russet color and a bit of underlying luster on both sides. There are no major marks and the naked-eye appeal is excellent for the grade. I've seen damaged examples of this date sell in the $2,500-3,000 range which makes this piece seem like the perfect value play for the collector who longs for a Crescent City double eagle.

1851-D $2.50 NGC EF40

I've noticed a real surge in interest in nicely toned branch mint gold and this makes sense. In silver and copper coins, you can have a $100 coin that is worth an enormous premium because of its great color. Why isn't the same true with gold coins, especially when they are so hard to find? This attractive 1851-D quarter eagle is well detailed with splashes of rich orange-gold and coppery-rose hues on the obverse and reverse. There is a small, shallow mint-made plnachet defect on the obverse between stars two and three and a few contact marks seen on both sides but this piece has great eye appeal. As a date, the 1851-D is far scarcer than the 1843-50 Dahlonega issues and it is extremely hard to find with good color.

1846-D $2.50 PCGS EF45

Without much fanfare, I've noted that the demand for nice EF40-AU55 collector quality Dahlonega quarter eagles has shot up dramatically in the last year. Price levels are going up (finally) as a result but these coins remain affordable with nice examples still being offered, from time to time, for less than $3,000. This piece is solid for the grade with good detail and nice medium yellow-gold color. Some dirt can be seen in the crevasses on the reverse. A few old scratches in the lower right obverse are not out of keeping with the assigned grade. As a date, the 1846-D sells for no premium over issues such as the 1844-D, 1845-D and 1847-D but I think it is harder to find with good eye appeal.

1851-O $20.00 NGC EF40

This is a solid coin for the grade with nice natural medium green-gold color that shows some underlying flashes of reddish-gold most noticeably at the upper reverse periphery. Struck from a late state of the dies with lapping having partially removed some of the stars on the obverse; stars six and seven are actually somewhat hard to see with the naked eye. There are a few small, scattered marks seen on the obverse including a cluster before the lips of Liberty; the reverse is clean and choice. This is an affordable example of one of the two affordable double eagles from this mint.

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.

1845-D $5.00 PCGS EF40 CAC

This problem-free, evenly worn example features dramatic natural reddish-gold color on the obverse and the reverse. This color is not quite dramatic enough to suggest that the coin was stored in a leather pouch but the depth of the color is unusual and the subsequent eye appeal is off the charts for a coin graded EF40.

1838-D $5.00 PCGS EF40

I can't think of a Dahlonega issue that is more popular than the 1838-D half eagle. It is the first coin of this denomination made at this mint and it is a one-year type with the popular Classic Head design and the presence of the mintmark on the obverse. It is not a major rarity but it is an issue that appears on nearly every Dahlonega specialists' want list; as well as on many non-D mint collectors as well. This moderately worn example is given above-average eye appeal by its rich reddish gold color that outlines the devices on the obverse and reverse. As is typical for the issue, there are some scattered marks in the fields. The originality of this piece is further demonstrated by the presence of dirt in the protected areas of the obverse. It has been quite a while since I have had an affordable, middle grade example of the 1838-D half eagle in stock and I expect this coin to sell quickly.

1842-O $5.00 NGC EF40

While not all that widely known, the 1842-O is the second scarcest half eagle from this mint (after the 1847-O) and it is actually rarer than virtually any half eagle from Charlotte or Dahlonega in terms of the total number of coins known to exist. This piece has the "right" color for the date with a deep lime-green hue seen on the obverse and reverse. The surfaces are clean and the wear, while fairly extensive on both sides, is even and acceptable for the grade. The last 1842-O half eagle in EF40 to sell at auction was the Stacks 1/07: 5115 coin (graded by NGC) that sold for $5,500 and before this the ANR 3/05: 691 example (graded by PCGS) sold for $3,680. Very rare, very undervalued and very nice.

1851-O $20.00 PCGS EF40

When this coin walked up to my table at the FUN show, my first reaction was "there will be at least five people who order it within the first few hours it's posted." Not only is this a clean, evenly worn example with a great naked-eye appearance, it has a "surprise" feature which I only discovered as I tilted it towards a light source. Outlining the devices are intense iridescent purple-blue flashes which could well be the result of this coin having been stored in a leather pouch or old coin album. This helps to give it a "circulated cameo" appearance that is both novel and very fetching. This is one of only two affordable New Orleans double eagles and locating a more attractive 1851-O for less than $5,000 might be just about impossible.