Lot 1809
1843-C. PCGS graded MS-62. CAC Approved. Nice light golden toning. Only 44,277 minted. Glowing yellow to orange-gold surfaces show strong luster and a minimum of marks of any consequence. Nicely struck in most areas. Liberty is nicely frosted against the somewhat reflective background. Rarer than its mintage indicates, and typically found Very Fine or Extremely Fine, usually well abraded. From the population reports, we know that a handful of 1843-C Fives exist in MS62 and finer grades. Rather than believe that all of a sudden a flurry of Mint State 1843-C $5 pieces have mysteriously appeared on the market in recent times, we suggest that certification numbers might be padded by resubmissions of identical coins. In absolute terms, this MS62 1843-C half eagle is a highly prized rarity.
Evidently, one obverse die was shipped to Charlotte on December 23, 1842. This was used in combination with two reverses on hand from earlier times. It would seem reasonable that additional obverses might have been sent later, as it was not policy at the time to take a chance that the only die on hand might break, thus halting coinage of the most popular denomination. Walter Breen, the source for much early Half Eagle die information, mentions only the shipment of a single die. Pop 4; 5 finer, 2 in 63, 3 in 64 (PCGS # 8214) .
Estimated Value $12,000 - 13,000.
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| Realized $16,744 |
