1883 $1.00 PCGS PR64 CAM CAC

One of 207 struck. An estimated four to five dozen Proofs of this date are known and the 1883 is far scarcer than the 1884-1889 gold dollars which were issued in quantities of 1,000 and above. This borderline Gem example has superb "black and white" contrast and would be a full-blown Gem were it not for two small but noticeable lintmarks in the obverse field adjacent to the tip of the portrait. If you have always wanted to own a genuinely rare Proof gold coin and you'd like said coin to have legitimately good eye appeal, this is a rare opportunity indeed.

CAC has approved just one 1883 gold dollar in PR64CAM with three finer than this.

1807 $2.50 NGC AU55

BD-1, R-3. Of the three denomination of early gold, the quarter eagle is the single hardest to locate with good eye appeal. When available, early quarter eagles tend to have been poorly struck and are often found with either mint-made defects or bright, liberally abraded surfaces. The present example is very choice for the grade with natural deep green-gold color on the obverse and reverse that strongly suggests that no dipping or "improvements" have befallen the surfaces. As is common for this date, the centers are not fully detailed and there are some mint-made vertical adjustment marks on the portrait that are well-concealed by the depth of the color. The 1807 is by far the most available date of this type with an original mintage of 6,812; nearly one-third the total of the 19,487 quarter eagles made between 1796 and 1807. As a result, it is the perfect date for the type collector as it carries no rarity premium. The last AU55 1807 quarter eagles to appear at auction, between April 2009 and August 2010, sold for $20,700, $20,700 and $21,850, respectively.

1858-S $20.00 NGC AU55

Another nice, fresh example with medium natural green-gold color on the lightly marked, lustrous surfaces. The price spread between AU50 and AU55 for this date is not that great, meaning that this is a practical option if a collector wants to "step up" to a higher grade.

1858-S $20.00 NGC AU50 CAC

Well struck and clean for the grade with nice natural green-gold color. At less than $3,000, coins such as this are very good value and represent a nice "double play" with nearly an ounce of bullion coupled with genuine numismatic scarcity.

1860-S $20.00 NGC AU55

I bought a pair of higher grade 1860-S double eagles at the recent Baltimore coin show and, in my opinion, this example is nicer than the other (a PCGS AU58) which I sold wholesale. This piece has deep, rich green-gold color with a good deal of remaining luster. It is somewhat weakly struck for the issue with plainly bevelled edges and a lack of detail (even for this issue) on the hair below the tiara. Still, this is a premium coin on account of its originality and I find the 1860-S to be an extremely hard issue to find with natural color and surfaces.

1857 $20.00 NGC AU55

While not as scarce or as undervalued as the 1855 and 1856 double eagles, the 1857 is a tough issue in its own right. This piece has the luster and body of an AU58 but just a few too many small ticks on the surfaces to properly grade as such. The color, a light green with underlying flashes of rose, is very appealing. A good value for the Type One specialist.

1847 $5.00 NGC MS62

The 1847 is one of the more available No Motto half eagles in higher grades but it is not common in properly graded MS62 and even harder to find with the sort of "look" that this choice example shows. The surfaces are frosty and clean with lovely deep, rich green-gold color. There are a few light dirt spots clinging to the letters and one larger area of dirt (possibly a grease stain?) at the dead center of the obverse. This choice, sharply struck piece has clearly never been cleaned or dipped and it would make a perfect type example for the collector with sophisticated tastes but a somewhat limited budget.

1878-CC $20.00 NGC AU53

Along with the 1879-CC, this is one of the harder CC double eagles to find in any grade and it becomes nearly impossible to locate in AU58 and above. This example has beautiful deep natural orange-gold and greenish color which is "right" for the issue; most 1878-CC double eagles have been dipped and are bright as a result. A raised die scratch on the neck of Liberty is diagnostic and should not be construed as damage; a few small grease stains on the face of Liberty are mint-made as well. Only one example of this date in AU53 has been sold at auction since late 2009 (Heritage 3/12: 4284 at $11,500) and there are auction records of over $10,000 for AU53's dating back to June 2008. An important coin for the CC double eagle specialist.

1856-S $2.50 NGC MS61, ex-Eliasberg

With the 1854-S being priced out of the reach of most collectors, the 1856-S is, for all intents and purposes, the earliest date quarter eagle that is available from this mint. The 1856-S is common in lower grades and only marginally scarce in the higher AU range but it is very scarce in Uncirculated and nearly unavailable higher than MS61 to MS62. This well struck example has nice frosty luster and an even, pale green-gold color. There are a few minor scuffs in the fields that are consistent with the grade but no trace of rub can be found on the high spots. My best guess is that there are around ten properly graded Uncirculated 1856-S and the PCGS/NGC populations are severely inflated by resubmissions. An interesting, numismatically significant coin made all the more desirable by its unbeatable pedigree.

Ex Scotsman 10/08: 801 ($4,600), Bowers and Ruddy 10/82: 179 ($550), Eliasberg collection.