Variety 2.

The 1860-C is the second to last half eagle from this mint. Of the 14,813 struck, slightly over 200 are known with most in the EF40 to AU53 range. There are an estimated eight or so known in Uncirculated with the present example being, to the best of my knowledge, the finest known.

This coin was discovered after the release of the third edition of my book on Charlotte gold and, as such, it was not listed in the Condition Census. I am told that it walked into a coin store around five years and it wound up in the personal collection of a New England dealer until he consigned it to the 2013 ANA where it sold for $46,000.

This coin is simply amazing and it has a “look” unseen on any other example of this date. The obverse is superb with rich old gold color with a slight green-gold undertone. The reverse is literally “as made” and it shows the diagnostic weakness of strike found on all 1859-C and 1860-C half eagles. I believe that this coin could just as easily have been graded MS65 and the only things that might have kept it from grading as such, in NGC’s eyes, were a few tiny marks in the right obverse field and a luster graze on the jaw line of Liberty.

When I first saw this coin last year, I was blown away and now that I own it, I am even more impressed. It is a serious coin for a serious collector of Liberty Head half eagles (or a Charlotte specialist) and I feel comfortable stating that it will never be excelled.

CAC has approved this one example in MS64 with none finer.

Ex Stacks Bowers 2012 ANA: 11705, where it sold for $41,250.