1839-O $2 1/2 MS64 PCGS....

Description

Wonderful 1839-O Quarter Eagle, High Date, Wide Fraction
MS64, Tied for Finest Certified

1839-O $2 1/2 MS64 PCGS. High Date, Wide Fraction, Breen-6152, McCloskey-A, R.3. The years 1838 and 1839 were a watershed era in the history of U.S. numismatics. 1838 saw the opening of this nation's first branch mints in three Southern locations, reflecting the migration of the populace south and west that continues to this day. Gold and silver coinage featured new types, with the Classic Head gold design ceding in a short time to the long-lived Liberty Head motif. Silver coinage saw the premier of the Liberty Seated motif (1837 on some denominations), which would run nearly the entire span of the 19th century. The first gold eagles were coined in 1838 since 1804, featuring the Liberty Head design of Christian Gobrecht that would spread to the half eagle in 1839 and the quarter eagle in 1840.
After toying with the Obverse Mintmark style for larger gold and silver coinage in 1838 and 1839, Mint officials moved all mintmarks in 1840 to the reverse, a move that would endure until the 1909 introduction of the Lincoln cent and the 1917 Standing Liberty mintmarked quarters. (The Walking Liberty half, introduced in 1916, saw more fiddling with obverse mintmarks for the first two years before they were moved to the reverse.)
The present specimen displays wonderful, thick, frosty luster that justly puts it head and shoulders above the typical O-mint quarter eagle of this or later years. The surfaces are medium yellow-gold, verging on orange-gold on portions of the reverse near the rim. Although die lapping makes the obverse hair behind the head appear sparse, the strike is well executed, with all star centrils full and only a slight loss of hair under the coronet. On the reverse, which is better struck as a rule, there is some detail loss from 5 to 7 near the rim and on the left side of the shield, also typical for the issue. Unlike most specimens seen, there are essentially no distracting marks of any significance. It is, however, the original luster and surfaces that are this wonderful coin's foremost attribute.
The 1839-O is unknown in Gem Mint State, although there are a few survivors certified MS64, including the present piece. NGC has graded six pieces in MS64, with PCGS adding four to the total (6/08). A significant opportunity for the gold or type specialist.(Registry values: P3)

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 25G7, PCGS# 7701, Greysheet# 8261)

Metal: 89.92% Gold, 10.08% Copper
Weight: 4.18 grams
AGW: 0.13oz
Mintage: 17,781

Note for clients in the European Union: This lot is considered by the European Union to be “investment gold”. We believe that it meets the criteria established in Article 344(1), point (2) of Council Directive 2006/112/EC and thus should be exempt from import VAT regardless of the selling price. Any questions or concerns about VAT should be addressed to your accountant or local tax authority.

View Certification Details from PCGS