1829 $2 1/2 MS67 PCGS....

Description

Sparkling Superb Gem Mint State 1829 Quarter Eagle

1829 $2 1/2 MS67 PCGS. This the finest certified 1829 quarter eagle, and is noteworthy for its exceptionally bright luster and well frosted devices. Of the meager 3,403 struck for circulation most of the survivors show some degree of prooflike fields as the same dies were used to coin proofs of this year. The strike is generally sharp, with good definition on Liberty's curls and the feathers on the eagle are clear. Even the claws are sharp on the eagle, and the only minor weakness we found is on the vertical shield lines which lack some definition.
After Robert Scot died in 1823 the Mint needed a new engraver. William Kneass was hired to improve existing designs, and he set to task on the quarter eagles of 1829. Smaller stars were employed on the obverse, and the rims were changed to use a beaded boarder with a high plain rim, an advance which protected much of the surface of the coin from wear and nicks. These early quarter eagles were not in great demand at the time, as the bulk of transactions involved half eagles or half dollars or smaller silver or copper coins. This one obviously was set aside at the time of issue and carefully preserved. This is the first year of issue of the new Kneass modified design, which continued until the next major design revisions that swept United States gold coinage in 1834. This is the finest 1829 quarter eagle certified by PCGS (or NGC) and none are finer (12/04).
The year 1829 was swept with change in this country. The unpopular President John Quincy Adams was leaving office to the fiery Andrew Jackson who ascended to power in early in that year after a wild and wooly election. Jackson took the popular vote in 1827, after failing to find sufficient support in his bid for the presidency in 1824. Known as "Old Hickory", Jackson was born and raised in Tennessee. He was a big war hero during the war of 1812. He found himself supporting the common man, and in his first Annual Message to Congress recommended eliminating the Electorial College, something still being discussed all these years later. National politics polarized around Jackson and his opposition, two parties grew out of the old Republican Party--the Democratic Republicans, or Democrats, who adhered to Jackson, and the National Republicans, or Whigs, who opposed him. The Whigs were represented by some powerful foes, including Henry Clay and Daniel Webster. Clay and Webster represented the status quo, and in the past most presidents deferred to Congress for policy making. Jackson would have none of this and assumed a vastly different leadership role, using his veto power to quash pork laden bills. Jackson's greatest battle involved the Second Bank of the United States, which was technically a private corporation but had strong Government sponsorship to keep its monopoly (reminders of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac today). Early in his Presidency, Jackson began to nibble at the Bank of the United States power, and it quickly summoned its considerable forces to oust Jackson. Clay and Webster, the attorneys for the bank mounted their own charge against Jackson. "The bank" Jackson told Martin Van Buren, "is trying to kill me, but I will kill it!" Jackson, in vetoing the recharter bill, charged the bank with undue economic privilege. By 1832 Jackson polled 56 percent of the popular vote, and won nearly five times as many electorial votes as him rival Henry Clay. In later years when John C. Calhoun, the leader of forces trying to rid themselves of a high protective tariff, decided to nullify the tariff in South Carolina, Jackson ordered armed forces into Charleston to enforce the tariff and threatened to hang Calhoun. Violence was breaking out through the city, then a compromise was struck, and Calhoun wasn't hanged, and South Carolina dropped its nullification demands. Needless to say, this wasn't the end of trouble in this region. Jackson's battles continued, in 1832 when dining with friends at the White House, someone whispered to him that the Senate had rejected the nomination of his friend Martin Van Buren as Minister to England. Jackson enraged, jumped to his feet and proclaimed "By the Eternal! I'll smash them!" So he did, and his friend Van Buren went on to succeeded him to the Presidency in 1837. "Old Hickory" retired to his beloved Hermitage in Tennessee, where he passed away in 1845.
Jackson was truly a man of the people, reports from the time talk of him frequently answering the door to the White House when visitors would drop by. Back then there was no elaborate security, and whoever was available would be sent to handle the daily business. One visitor reported that one particular time when Jackson came to the White House door he was badly soiled by tobacco juice, which was dribbling down his fancy ruffled shirt. One can only imagine being able to walk up to the White House today and discussing current events with George W. Bush in a similar fashion! Times have definitely changed, and this regal 1829 quarter eagle is a pristine reminder of our country's rich history. One can only imagine the vast changes this coin has seen over the years, the different owners and great sales in which it has always been a star. Why not add it to your numismatic portfolio today.(#7669) (Registry values: P4)

Coin Index Numbers: (PCGS# 7669, GSID# 8226)

Metal: 91.67% Gold, 8.33% Copper
Weight: 4.37 grams
AGW: 0.1288oz
Mintage: 3,403

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