20 Popular 19th Century US Gold Coins Priced Below $10,000

There are dozens of United States gold coins that are accorded a high degree of value for various reasons: first-year-of-issue, low mintage figures, beautiful design, strong collector appeal, etc. These are not always the "rarest" coins in a series and when the value-conscious collector looks at the numbers they don't always make sense. But coins like the ones listed below are great additions to any collection. Let's look at a list of 20 gold coins from the 19th century priced below $10,000 that would be welcome in any collection. 1. 1849-D Gold Dollar: The first gold dollar from this mint and an affordable, well-made issue. An easy coin to obtain in the $2,500-5,000 range.

2. 1855-O Gold Dollar: The only Type Two gold dollar from New Orleans and the final issue of this denomination from this mint. $3,000-5,000 will buy you a nice piece.

3. 1875 Gold Dollar: Just 400 business strikes were made, yet this issue is affordable.

4. 1838-C Quarter Eagle: The first quarter eagle from Charlotte and a popular two year type. Becoming harder to locate for less than $7,500 but be patient and you'll find one.

5. 1839-D Quarter Eagle: The mate to the 1838-C and an issue that is both first-year-of-type and a one -year emission. Another coin that is becoming hard to find at under $10,000 but not impossible.

6. 1845-O Quarter Eagle: Only 4,000 were struck and this is by far the scarcest quarter eagle from this mint. Still available for less than $10,000 but getting more expensive every year.

7. 1875 Quarter Eagle: If you own the dollar, why not the quarter eagle? Another super-low mintage issue; just 400 struck. Decent pieces can be had for $7,500-10,000.

8. 1854-O Three Dollars: A first-year issue and a one-year type in one affordable package. $5,000-7,500 will buy you a very pleasing example.

9. 1881 Three Dollars: Just 500 business strikes were made and this is a scarce coin in all grades. This date always sells quickly for me. $7,500 will buy you a nice one.

10. 1813 Half Eagle: One of the more common coins on this list but its the most affordable example of the legendary Fat Head type. Nice pieces can still be hard for less than $10,000.

11. 1838-C/1838-D Half Eagles: Both are first year issues and one-year types. Both are very popular and becoming increasingly hard to find at under $10,000. These have great appeal beyond branch mint specialists.

12. 1839-C/1839-D Half Eagles: Two more one-year types. Neither are really rare (except in high grades) but they are well-made, oh-so-popular and can still be purchased in the $5,000-10,000 range. A four coin set that had the 1838-C, 1838-D, 1839-C and 1839-D half eagles would be a great addition to a collection.

13. 1861-C Half Eagle: Final year of issue, possible Civil War issuance and cheap...what's not to love about the 1861-C half eagle? I just sold a nice EF40 for a shade over $5,000 and received multiple orders for it on my site.

14. 1870-CC Half Eagle: You can't buy a really nice example of this date for less than $10,000 anymore but if you stretch a bit you'll own a true piece of history. By a large margin, this is the most affordable first-year CC gold coin.

15. 1838 Eagle: This is another formerly affordable coin whose levels have shot up in the last five years. It's scarce in all grades (only 7,200 were made) and it is the first Liberty Head eagle.

16. 1854-S Eagle: The first San Francisco eagle and a true Gold Rush artifact. Very affordable with very nice pieces still available for around $5,000.

17. 1857-S SSCA Double Eagle: I thought twice about adding this to the list but how can you not love a coin with this much history and cosmetic appeal? MS63's at $9,000 or so seem like fair value right now.

18. 1874-CC Eagle: To me, the thought of owning a Carson City eagle from the early 1870's is pretty exciting and the 1874-CC is the most common. Nice coins can be had for $6,000-8,000.

19. 1861 Double Eagle: An affordable Civil War double eagle that is well made and available. A great starter coin for the collector and always an easy coin to sell. You can buy nice examples for $3,000-5,000 and up.

20. Carson City Double Eagle: I didn't mention a specific date as I am viewing this as a type purchase. What could be more popular than a big, pretty coin like this? You can still purchase an excellent example for $4,000-7,000.

So what coins did I leave off the list that you have in your collection and which do you agree with? Email me at dwn@ont.com and let me know!

1839-D $5.00 PCGS AU58

Variety 1. Mintmark directly over the top of the 3 in the date. This is the rarer of the two known varieties. Along with the 1838-D, the 1839-D is an important issue amongst Dahlonega half eagles as it is a one year type coin. The 1839-D is actually rarer than the 1838-D both in terms of overall and grade rarity. There are an estimated 200-225 known with as many as four dozen grading AU by today's standards. However, the great majority are in the AU50 to AU53 range and choice pieces are very rare. Only four to six are known in Uncirculated and the PCGS population of just three coins in AU58 should give a clear indication as to this coin's rarity in this grade. The present example is a highly lustrous slider with virtually no rub seen on the obverse and excellent overall detail for the issue. Both sides show some medium yellow-gold color and there are only a few light, scattered abrasions visible in the fields. The last APR for a PCGS AU58 1839-D half eagle was in May 2007 when Heritage sold a piece for $16,100; prior to this you have to go all the way back to October 1999 when the Bass II coin was sold for a reasonable $11,500.

1848-C $2.50 NGC EF40 CAC

Sharply struck for the date with none of the central weakness seen on many examples and nicely toned with rich reddish-gold and pale blue colors on the obverse and reverse. A visually pleasing coin and an affordable Charlotte quarter eagle that is perfect either for the new date collector or the type collector seeking a single affordable issue

1861-C $5.00 NGC EF40

For a number of reasons, the 1861-C is the most interesting half eagle struck at the Charlotte mint. It is the final issue from this facility with a small production of just 6,879 coins. But it is the fact that at least 887 were made after employees signed a Loyalty Oath to the Confederacy that makes it so intriguing. Unfortunately, there is an absolute way by which to determine which coins were made by the rebel minters. As a date, the 1861-C used to be held in nearly as high regard as the 1861-D half eagle but that issue now sells for a three to five time premium in EF and AU grades, I think the 1861-C is now hugely undervalued given its story and its scarcity. The example I am offering here is pleasing for the grade with natural russet shadings on the obverse and reverse. The surfaces are a bit "ticky" but these marks are common for the issue and are actually less detracting than is usual. I personally like this coin more than the NGC EF45 that Heritage just sold as Lot 5029 in their June auction for $7,188. It is interesting to note that only two EF40's have sold at auction since 1996 and the last, ANR 3/05: 704, brought $6,900.

1845-D $5.00 NGC AU58 CAC

A very attractive slider example with pleasing even medium reddish-gold colors on the obverse and the reverse. This tends to be a well-made issue and this coin is no exception with a very strong strike at the centers and borders. The surfaces are clean with just a few marks in back of the neck visible to the naked eye and the amount of actual wear is minimal. The 1845-D is one of the more available Dahlonega half eagles but choice, original AU58 pieces such as the present example are very scarce and I think they are good value when compared to the common dates from the 1852-1854 era. In Uncirculated, this date sells for $10,000 and up which makes a nice AU58 a very good value, in my opinion. This is a great type coin for the collector who would like to own a single choice Dahlonega half eagle.

1877-CC $10.00 PCGS EF45

The 1877-CC is almost as rare as the more highly-touted 1878-CC eagle and it is actually not all that far behind the 1879-CC. I believe that the total known is in the range of 50-60 coins and many of these are in lower grades. The present example is among the more original 1877-CC eagles that I have seen and it is uncommonly choice for the grade with nice color and enough remaining luster to make a strong claim for the AU50 level. A few ticks can be seen in the fields but none are detracting and the overall level of eye appeal is extremely high. I have long believed that this date is highly undervalued and touted it as such as far back as the late 1980's when I wrote the first edition of my book on Carson City gold. In the recent June Long Beach sale, Heritage sold a PCGS Fine-15 example of this date (I graded it VF25) for an amazing $6,325. It hardly seems right that a Choice EF should be worth less than twice as much but that's the current pricing status of the 1877-CC eagle.

CAC has approved two examples of this date in EF45 and none finer. Only two have been approved for the entire issue.

1852-C $5.00 NGC AU53

Well detailed and very richly toned with russet-gold hues that turn iridescent as they are tilted towards a light source. This coin doesn't quite have what I would describe as "leather pouch" color but the aforementioned hues are really vibrant and this is a neat-looking example of an otherwise-common date. A mark in the left obverse field can be seen with the naked eye and a small cut below AT in STATES is seen on the reverse.

1857-D $5.00 NGC MS61

The 1857-D is among the rarer late date Dahlonega half eagles in higher grades and I regard it as one of the most overlooked dates from this mint. It is usually seen well worn and in Uncirculated there are probably fewer than ten known with nearly all in the MS60 to MS61 range. This choice, fresh example is better struck than usual for the issue with good central detail framed by the typical beveled edges. The surfaces are a bit grainy in texture as is seen on most 1857-D half eagles but they have a nice orange-gold hue and they show a good amount of cartwheel. The last MS61 1857-D half eagle to sell was Goldberg 2/06: 1158 (slabbed by NGC) that sold for $11,500. In the Heritage 1/12 auction, a PCGS MS62 (ex Bass II) sold for a strong $21,850. An important coin for the advanced Dahlonega collector.

1861-S $2.50 PCGS AU58 CAC

Unlike its quarter eagle counterpart from Philadelphia, this Civil War issue has a low original mintage and a small survival rate. Only 24,000 were struck and most of the remaining pieces show considerable wear from heavy use in local commerce. This date is quite rare in properly graded AU58 and it is extremely rare in Mint State with no more than three or four known. This is a pleasing "slider" with nearly full luster seen below rich rose and orange hues which are deeper on the reverse than on the obverse. The strike is sharp with nearly full leg feathers on the eagle and only a few small ticks in the fields can be seen with the naked eye. The last PCGS AU58 1861-S quarter eagle to sell at auction was Heritage 11/03: 7235 that sold for $4,830 nearly a decade ago. Since 1999, there have been only seven APR's for AU58's of this date. After years of neglect, coins such as this are finally getting the acclaim they deserve but I feel they are still undervalued.

This is currently the only 1861-S quarter eagle in any grade to have been approved by CAC.