Variety 13-H. The date is far to the left; the more common of the two varieties for this year.

The 1845-D is the second most common Dahlonega half eagle from the 1840′s and it is among the more obtainable half eagles from this mint. It is available with some degree of regularity in the lower AU grades but is not often seen with natural color and surfaces.

This piece has very pleasing deep orange-gold color which is somewhat more intense on the reverse. It is well defined and shows just a few marks with the most noticeable being a small shallow scrape in front of the bridge of Liberty’s nose. The overall detail s very sharp and this coin has a nice appearance on account of its rich natural coloration.

The only AU50 example of this date to sell at auction so far in 2013 was Heritage 4/13: 5768 which brought$2,476. That example was “washed-out” and showed little in the way of natural color.

A nice, affordable Dahlonega half eagle which would be a good starter coin for the beginning specialist or a type coin for the collector who would like a single above-average example from this mint.