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$5 Gold
1842-C $5 L
IBERTY
. L
ARGE
D
ATE
1806
1842-C. Large Date
.
PCGS graded AU-58
. A nice
untoned coin. Only 23,589 minted. A nicely struck example
of this elusive C mint release in which the lower obverse
rim dentils are somewhat weak and along with them, the
upper reverse dentils as though the dies were either slightly
misaligned or the inner design “pulled” the metal away
from the rim, denying the dies sufficient metal to fill the
denticle recesses along those areas. All in all this is a hand-
some, lustrous and attractive coin. There are very few sur-
face abrasions. There is much mint frostiness. And it has
eye-appeal far and away nicer than average for and 1840’s
decade Charlotte Mint half eagle. With its great all-around
eye appeal, this is an absolutely must-have coin that
deserves a place in the better class of rare gold cabinets.
Pop 4; 9 finer, 2 in 61, 3 in 62, 4 in 63
. (
PCGS #
8209
)
Estimated Value ........................................ $6,500 - 7,000
1807
1842-C. Large date. PCGS graded Genuine, Cleaning -
AU Details
. A hint of gold tone. Only 23,589 struck. Walter
Breen attributes a mintage of 23,589 to the Large Date variety,
or over four times that of the Small Date. On the other hand,
Douglas Winter estimates that 35 to 40 are known of the Small
Date and 65 to 70 of the Large Date, obviously a different pro-
portion. During this era date sizes were in flux at the Philadel-
phia Mint, and across certain denominations; the years 1842-
1846 are found with different-sized logotypes, not for all
denominations and all years, but for enough of them that they
make an interesting study. (
PCGS # 8209
)
Estimated Value ..............................................$1,000 - 1,100
1808
1842-D. Small date
.
NGC graded AU-53
. Some mint luster
present. Normal field abrasions from the time it spent in circula-
tion. Well detailed, nevertheless, for this often difficult D-mint
half eagle, a low mintage year. With light golden highlights that
add considerably to the appeal of this higher-end circulated
specimen. Devices are about as sharp as can be expected, with
only some minor weakening in the outline of the shield on the
reverse, the eagle’s neck detail, and some feathers along the
legs. Legends, date, and mintmark are all clear. In 1842, the
Dahlonega mint tested various with date and lettering sizes.
This was an era when experimentation took place at every mint,
that lasted from about 1838 to 1843. The 1842-D Small Date is
seen more often than its Large Date equivalent (the opposite is
found on the Charlotte half eagles dated 1842 where the 1842-
C Small Date is rarer). (
PCGS # 8210
)
Estimated Value ..............................................$2,500 - 2,700
