250
|
$2.50 Gold
M
INT
S
TATE
1852-C $2.50 L
IBERTY
Enlargement
1689
1852-C
.
PCGS graded MS-61
. Untoned, frosty, and lus-
trous. Only 9,772 minted. Uncirculated survivors are both
rare and desirable. This has a tendency toward prooflike
luster with noticeable reflectivity near some design ele-
ments. The strike is precise on the portrait, with the hair
relief over the ear giving no indication of weakness or wear.
Slightly less ample detail is relegated to the eagle's side,
but here too we find much to feel confident about. Some
light field scratches above the eagle. Any consequential
marks are held to a minimum, though, and along with the
strike quality, ensure proper eye-appeal and visual impact
for this scarcer Charlotte Mint quarter eagle.
Pop 4; 1
finer in 63
. (
PCGS # 7764
)
Estimated Value .....................................$15,000 - 17,000
Enlargement
1690
1852-C
.
PCGS graded EF-45.
CAC Approved
. Light gold
toning on both sides. Only 9,772 minted.
Pop 22; 44 finer at
PCGS
. (
PCGS # 7764
)
Estimated Value ..............................................$1,600 - 1,700
U
NC
1852-O $2.50 L
IBERTY
Enlargement
1691
1852-O
.
PCGS graded MS-62
. Merely 250 pieces of this
elusive date are estimated to have survived. A hint of gold
tone. Mint luster evident. Mint luster textured like brilliant
frosted glass gives this warm golden coin much of its life
and excitement. Struck with almost scientific precision on
the main devices, only the legs and claws on the eagle
appear rounded and not as sharp. Full square rims with
complete dentils, the New Orleans branch consistently
made their coins look sharp in this decade, with only a few
scattered exceptions.
Little known was that New Orleans was the horse racing
capital of the nation by the 1850s, and was also the site for
races between humans as well as bullfighting and even
bear fights!
Pop 5; 1 finer in 63
. (
PCGS # 7766
)
Estimated Value ........................................ $6,500 - 7,000
T
IED
FOR
F
INEST
A
T
PCGS 1854-C $2.50
Enlargement
1692
1854-C
.
PCGS graded MS-62.
CAC Approved
. Mostly
untoned. Scarce in this grade. Only 7,295 minted. A classic
quarter eagle rarity in high grades, especially so in select
Mint State as seen here. Charlotte struck fewer of these
than in prior years (although there were no quarter eagles
made at this mint in 1853). It seems that virtually all of the
production wore into much lower grades in circulation. We
note the lustrous, desirable Mint original surfaces of this
specimen bedazzle the eye with their bright greenish to yel-
low gold color, and we see none of the typical haze or dull-
ness over the luster. As to the strike, this one really excels,
noted expert Doug Winter wrote in his reference on the
series that "Weak strikes are the rule for this date. The
obverse is often blurry on the hair around Liberty's ear. The
reverse is always weaker than the obverse; the center and
eagle's claws are invariably very weak…." We note that the
hair around Liberty's ear is decidedly well struck, especially
so given the date, and while the reverse shows the
expected softness on the eagle's thigh, claws and areas
around the shield, elsewhere everything is finely detailed.
The obverse die is bereft of light clash marks seen on some
other 1854-C survivors. Virtually no identifying marks on
this one, there is a very shallow area in the upper eyelid on
Liberty if that counts as an identifier. An American classic,
the grading services report few others in Mint quality.
Pop
4; none finer at PCGS
. (
PCGS # 7770
)
Estimated Value .................................... $20,000 - 22,000
