Small Date variety. Variety 7-E.

The 1842-D Small Date is the more available of the two varieties of half eagle produced at the Dahlonega mint in 1842. Unlike its Large Date counterpart, it is available from time to time in the higher AU grades although it is fairly scarce in properly graded AU58. It is a very rare issue in Uncirculated with just six to eight known to me.

This very lustrous slider has no real wear but there is just enough friction on the high spots to keep it from grading MS61. That said, it is very well detailed and it shows light green-gold color. There are a few small ticks in the obverse fields and a few contact marks on the reverse below the beak of the eagle.

In the last decade, there have been just two auction sales of this date/variety in PCGS AU58: the present coin (see the pedigree below) and Heritage 4/11: 6476 at $6,900.

For most collectors, an Uncirculated example of this date is unobtainable, so this pleasing PCGS AU58 will be the best available quality.

Ex Heritage 1/13: 7127 where it brought $6,463.