Variety 2. High Date, Wide Fraction.

The 1839-O is the most popular quarter eagle made at the New Orleans and it has multiple levels of demand. It is the first year of issue for this denomination and it is a one-year type featuring the only use of the popular Classic Head design with the mintmark on the obverse. It is a common issue in circulated grades and sometimes seen in the lowest Uncirculated range. The 1839-O is very scarce in properly graded MS62, rare in MS63 and extremely rare above this.

This fresh, satiny example is well detailed and shows attractive natural soft green-gold colors on the obverse and the reverse. Both sides show only a few trivial marks. This is a later die state with typical lack of radial lines in the stars and a partial erosion of the denomination as a result of die lapping. The overall eye appeal is excellent with a degree of originality almost never seen on this issue.

No PCGS MS62 1839-O quarter eagle has sold at auction since Bowers and Merena 2006 ANA: 4097, which realized $19,550. The last NGC MS62 to sell at auction brought $23,000 as Stack’s 7/08: 2006; it brought a premium due to itsS.S. New York provenance.

This is a very in-demand issue which is almost never seen in MS62 and only one graded MS63 has sold since 2006. I expect this 1839-O to be the object of much attention amongst quarter eagle collectors, New Orleans gold specialists and first year of issue collectors.