Large Date variety.

The 1846 half eagle is seen with Large date and Small Date varieties. The former is the more available of the two but it is a scarce issue in any Uncirculated grade and a rare one in properly graded MS63. The only finer known 1846 Large Date is a PCGS MS64 which I sold earlier in the year.

This fresh-to-the-market coin has a wonderful frosty appearance which is suggestive of originality. It is fully struck and undipped with rich rose and orange-gold color on the obverse and reverse. This coin is essentially “as struck” with only a few mint-made spots on the obverse and a bit of mint-made planchet roughness near stars one and two; the reverse approaches Gem quality.

A non-CAC 1846 Large Date half eagle graded MS63 by PCGS realized $11,788 as Heritage 4/12: 5264. Another PCGS MS63, which appears to have been removed from its holder, sold for $16,100 as Heritage 4/08: 2440.

A splendid example of this overlooked issue and clearly well into the Condition Census for the variety.

From New England Rare Coin Galleries in the mid-1970′s with the original flip included.