1870 $5.00 PCGS AU58

Only 4,000 business strikes were made and this date is very scarce in all grades. In the higher AU grades, it is very rare and I am aware of just a single Uncirculated example (despite a PCGS population of two), the PCGS MS61 that is ex Bass II: 1169 at $14,375 back in 1999. This fresh ecoin has good eye appeal for the date and grade. It shows essentially no wear but there is just a bit too much friction on the high spots to rightfully call it Uncirculated. The semi-prooflike surfaces are touched by soft orange-gold and rose hues and this is one of just a small handful of 1870 half eagles that I have seen that haven't been processed and stripped of their full originality. The only other PCGS AU58 1870 half eagle is ex Heritage 5/05: 8647 and it aold for $8,050 back in a market in which coins like this were mostly met with indifference. A very important With Motto Liberty Head half eagle and a coin that is well up in the Condition Census for the date.

The NGC population figure of "24" in AU58 is clearly vastly inflated by resubmissions.

1845-O $5.00 NGC MS61

It's always nice when old friends come home and this wonderfully crusty 1845-O half eagle is a coin that I first offered for sale about two years ago. I re-acquired it at the Long Beach show and, if anything, I like it even more than I did then. The 1845-O half eagle remains a very rare issue in Uncirculated with an estimated eight to ten known. The NGC population for MS61's is inflated and at least one or two of the pieces I have seen in said holders have been marginal at best. This example has lovely deep green-gold and russet colors, in slightly different configurations, on the obverse and reverse. The strike is sharp and the surfaces are free of significant marks. For the sake of identification, there is a patch of dirt near the top of star seven on the obverse and a few natural copper spots on the reverse. Since 1995, only five MS61 examples of this date have appeared at auction. The last sale is Heritage 6/11: 4631 (graded by NGC) that realized $10,350; in March 2010, Heritage sold a PCGS graded coin for $12,650. An impressive coin for an advanced collection of New Orleans half eagles.

1855-D Large D $5.00 PCGS EF40

Variety 38-EE. Large D mintmark. There are two mintmark varieties known for the date. The Large D is considerably scarcer although it generally doesn't bring a big premium. As a date, the 1855-D is the third rarest Dahlonega half eagle, trailing only the 1861-D and the 1842-D Large Date. It is greatly undervalued in all grades and it is amazing that it sells for just a small premium over common issues such as the 1853-D and 1854-D. This example is weakly struck at the centers and shows light orange-gold surfaces with a hint of luster in the protected areas. If you collect Dahlonega half eagles by date or variety, you will recognize the importance of this offering.

1853-O $1.00 PCGS MS62 CAC

A very choice coin for the grade with good luster and pleasing medium green-gold color on the obverse and the reverse. A few small scuffs limit the grade but this piece has better eye appeal than many examples that I have seen in MS63 holders. A great introductory coin for the collector who would like an affordable but charismatic Type One gold dollar from the New Orleans mint.

CAC has approved seven in this grade with 11 finer.

1907 High Relief $20.00 NGC MS65 CAC

Wire Edge variety Is there a coin that says "my collection is world-class" more than a Gem quality High Relief? No, they aren't "rare" as hundreds exist but they are highly desirable and always in demand. And what of this example? It is housed in an older NGC holder and it is superb. The surfaces are intensely lustrous and display uncommonly rich lemon hues. What is most impressive, to my eyes, is the fact that this coin lacks the rub of the knee and breast of Liberty that is seen on nearly all High Reliefs; even pieces that grade MS65 and MS66. A few very small marks in the left obverse field keep this from an otherwise-plausible higher grade and the eye appeal is higher than nearly any High Relief graded MS65 that I have seen in a long time. This coin truly has it all as far as High reliefs go: great eye appeal, residence in an older holder (assurance, in this case, that it hasn't been "messed" with) and a CAC sticker. Let's dwell on this last point for a second. To date, 447 High Reliefs have been graded MS65 by NGC and PCGS combined. Assuming that there are a number of regrades, let's say that there 300 or so MS65 coins. To date, only 30 have been approved by CAC. Accounting for the fact that many have not been sent to CAC yet, it is still likely that no more than 75-100 of these coins will ever be stickered. That's a real consideration when you are searching for the "right" High Relief for your collection. An exciting offering for the collector who wants to own a truly beautiful coin.

CAC has approved 30 in this grade with 19 finer.

1857-S $20.00 NGC AU58 CAC

Back before the discovery of the S.S. Central America, the 1857-S double eagle was actually a scarce coin and this piece, with its obvious non-seawater surfaces, represents what would have been just about the best available quality for the date way back when. To my eyes, this is a fully Uncirculated coin with superb natural orange-gold color and bold, unbroken luster. There are light, uniform scuffs on both the obverse and the reverse but this piece is exceptional for the grade. It is interesting to note that many inferior SSCA AU examples of the 1857-S sell for a premium over the far more rare pieces with natural surfaces.

CAC has approved six in this grade with 36 finer. It is impossible to break these numbers down into SSCA and non-SSCA totals.

1856-S $20.00 PCGS AU55

Secure Plus. This non-shipwreck example has very clean surfaces with far fewer marks than usual for the issue. The color is original and attractive with medium orange-gold accented by rose splashes in the recessed areas. You rarely see nice circulated 1856-S double eagles with original surfaces and this example is one of the best AU55's that I have handled in a number of months.

1854-S $20.00 NGC AU55

The 1854-S is a numismatically significant coin as it is the first double eagle made at the San Francisco mint. It is also an enigmatic issue. Because of the Yankee Blade shipwreck, it is fairly available in Uncirculated but with original, non-seawater surfaces it is rare in all grades and extremely rare in AU and above. I know of just two non-shipwreck Uncirculated 1854-S double eagles (both of which have been handled by my firm) and a handful of nice AU's. The present example is one of the two or three best circulated 1854-S double eagles I have seen. It is very well struck and has nearly full satiny luster. The color, a light orange-gold hue, is lovely and the surfaces are amazingly clean for the date and grade. Around four years ago, I paid close to $10,000 for an original surface 1854-S in PCGS AU55 when Trends was around $4,500 for this issue. This coin may be even nicer and with the market finally appreciating the rarity of original 1854-S double eagles, I think it is still a good value. If you are a serious collector of Type One double eagles, I urge you to give this coin your full consideration.

1894-O $5.00 NGC MS62

Only three New Orleans half eagles bear the motto IN GOD WE TRUST on the reverse and the 1894-O is the penultimate of this trio. It is far scarcer than the 1893-O but not as rare as the 1892-O. The 1894-O is generally seen in the AU53-MS60 range and it is rare in properly graded MS62. In all my years of specializing in New Orleans gold I have only handled a small number finer than MS62 and the present example is a fresh, pleasing coin with natural green-gold and orange colors atop highly reflective, lightly scuffed surfaces. Only five slabbed MS62 examples of the 1894-O half eagle have appeared at auction since 2000 and the last sale was a PCGS coin that brought $3,220 as Heritage 11/11: 4331.