CONDITIONALLY RARE AND HISTORIC 1861-C HALF EAGLE

The 1861-C is numismatically important as the final issue struck at the Charlotte mint. Only 6,879 were made and while as many as 200+ are known, this date is rare and undervalued in Choice AU. In fact, it is scarcer than the celebrated 1861-D in properly graded AU55 to AU58 and it is exceedingly rare in full Mint State with only three known to us.

This fresh-to-the-market example is among the nicer 1861-C half eagles which I have had in stock in the last three or four years. It is well made on a better-than-average planchet and it shows deep, natural caramel-gold colors on the obverse and the reverse. The strike is well above average for the date with good details seen at the centers and borders; the surfaces are choice save for a little scuffing in the central left obverse.

The only PCGS AU55 1861-C half eagle to sell at auction since the beginning of 2008 brought $17,250 as Heritage 1/12: 4905; it was choice and lustrous but had not been approved by CAC.

I have long regarded the 1861-C half eagle to be perhaps the most overlooked Civil War gold issues and it is a rare coin in Choice AU.

CAC has approved just this one coin in AU55 with four finer.