CONDITION CENSUS 1845-O QUARTER EAGLE WITH CAC APPROVAL

Variety 1; early die state with strong doubling on the 18 in the date. Housed in an old green label holder.

With a mintage of just 4,000 and with fewer than 100 known, the 1845-O is the rarest quarter eagle from New Orleans by a significant margin. It is not often seen in grades above AU53 to AU55 with properly graded AU58's being very rare. There are exactly three known in Uncirculated and all are off the market in tightly-held collections.

I first sold this exact coin to a (now-deceased) New Jersey collector back in the late 1980's and, at that time, I felt this coin was by far the best AU58 1845-O quarter eagle known. Fast forward nearly thirty years and despite gradeflation this coin remains in an AU58 holder. It is sharply struck, very lustrous and it shows pleasing natural green-gold color which is correct for the issue. There appears to be no real wear, just some light friction in the fields. A thin depression in the planchet behind the head of Liberty is mint-made and this is seen on a sizable number of 1845-O quarter eagles. In my opinion, this coin is remarkable for the date and grade and it would not look awkward in an MS61 holder.

This exact coin (see below for pedigree) is the only PCGS AU58 1845-O quarter eagle to sell at auction since May, 2000. The last Uncirculated example to cross the block was bought very reasonably by me for $29,900 as Heritage 2/12: 4636; it graded MS61 at PCGS.

This coin will become the centerpiece in a fine collection of New Orleans quarter eagles and a better 1845-O quarter eagle is not likely to be available for many years.

CAC has approved five in this grade with none finer.

Ex Heritage 9/16: 13952 where it sold for $21,738.