SURPRISINGLY RARE PCGS/CAC MS62 1843 $2.50

Despite a high mintage of 100,546, the 1843 quarter eagle is actually a legitimately scarce coin in MS62 and a rare issue in MS63 and finer. This example is comfortably within the Condition Census for the issue, and the single best 1843 $2.50—graded MS64 by PCGS and approved by CAC—sold for $19,388 as Heritage 2017 ANA: 4087. I sold the other PCGS MS64, ex Bass II: 345 to the Kansas Collection in 1999. That coin brought $12,650 a loooooong time ago.

This natural reddish-gold example has been off the market for nearly a dozen years and it shows the sort of quality almost never seen on an early P mint Liberty Head quarter eagle. A few small scuffs are present—mostly in the lower left obverse field— but the overall eye appeal is way better than average for both the date and the grade.

No PCGS/CAC MS62 has ever sold at auction, and the most recent sale of a non-CAC PCGS coin in this grade was for $4,920 in July 2023.

I doubt there are more than three or four better 1843 quarter eagles currently known than this one. A lot of value here for the money!

CAC has approved three in this grade with just one finer (PCGS MS64).

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