1876 $5.00 NGC AU55 CAC

With a mintage of just 1,432 coins, the 1876 half eagle is a very scarce issue in all grades. What is interesting about this date is its grade distribution. When available, the 1876 either tends to come very worn and very ugly or very nice (MS62 to MS65). It is sometimes available in high grades due to a small group of five or six pieces that was found a few years ago and, in fact, a nice PCGS MS62+ from this source just sold at the Stack's Bowers 2012 ANA auction for $16,450. The present example has a look that is seldom found on circulated 1876 half eagles: one that is totally original with deep natural green-gold and rose hues on the obverse and the reverse. The surfaces are very clean with just a few tiny scattered marks; a tiny obverse rim bump at 11:00 is barely visible. After years of neglect, coins such as this are becoming appreciated for their rarity and the 1876 is among the rarer half eagles ever produced at the Philadelphia mint.

This is currently the only 1876 half eagle in any grade that has been approved by CAC.

1842-O $5.00 NGC AU55

The true rarity of this date is not widely known but it is the second hardest New Orleans half eagle to locate both in terms of overall and high grade rarity. There are well under 100 known from the original mintage of 16,400 and unlike dates like the 1840-O, 1843-O Small and Large Letters and 1845-O, it is virtually non-existent in higher grades. There are exactly three known in Uncirculated (all placed in private collections) and probably another ten to twelve properly graded AU pieces. The present example is one of the few 1842-O half eagles that I have ever seen with fully original color and both sides show a handsome deep, rich green-gold hue. There are a few minor marks in the fields including a small cut between the final star and the back of the neck but this date is known for its rough surfaces and this piece is much more choice than usual in that regard. There has been exactly one auction record for an AU55 for this date in the last decade: the ANR 3/04: 1398 coin (graded by NGC) that brought $8,625 in a market that was far less appreciative of rare New Orleans gold coinage. This coin is a great combination of rarity and beauty and I think it is a great value at less than $10,000.

1838 $5.00 NGC AU55 CAC

Very deep natural reddish-gold covers the obverse and the reverse. This piece shows slight wear only and it has choice surfaces. This is the final year of issue for the type and as a date the 1838 is much scarcer than the 1834 Plain 4 or 1835.

CAC has approved four in this grade with fifteen higher than this.

1889 $20.00 PCGS AU55 CAC OGH

Old Green Label Holder. I grade this coin MS60 by today's standards. Bright and very frosty with splashes of rich natural orange-gold color on both sides. The 1889 is a scarce and undervalued date. It gets little premium until MS62 but it is many, many times scarcer than a common Type Three issue, even in the lower Uncirculated grades. Good value.

This is the only 1889 double eagle to receive CAC approval in this grade; only thirteen higher have been approved as well.

1873 $20.00 PCGS AU55 CAC Gold Sticker, OGH

Old Green Label holder; CAC Gold Sticker. By today's standards, this coin grades MS60 to MS61. Frosty with mellow old gold color contrasted by some deeper hues on the obverse. Lightly abraded in the fields but totally original and very pleasing.

CAC has approved seven in this grade with 252(!) finer. It is not known how many have gold stickers.

1890-CC $20.00 PCGS AU55

The first of three choice, original examples of this date and, unlike the other two, seen with some semi-prooflike flash below deep green-gold and orange hues. This piece has some minor discoloration at the CA in AMERICA (probably from storage) and is a bit more abraded than the next two.

1890-CC $20.00 NGC AU55+ CAC

One of a small group of original "Euro" examples of this date that I recently purchased (along with the PCGS AU55 listed above and the PCGS AU58 listed below) and a coin that sure seems like it should be graded as a full AU58. NGC's conservative grade is your gain as you get a coin with the look of an AU58 at a discount. The color and surfaces are as original as you can find on a CC double eagle and coins like this have become very, very hard to find in today's market.

CAC has approved 25 1890-CC double eagles in AU55 with 29 finer. It is not known how many AU55+ examples have CAC approval.

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.