1840 $5 MS65+ PCGS. CAC....

Description

1840 Liberty Half Eagle, MS65+
Finest Certified at PCGS
CAC-Approved Gem

1840 $5 MS65+ PCGS. CAC. Narrow Mill, diameter 21.6 mm. The 1840 Liberty half eagle claims a substantial mintage of 137,382 pieces, but the issue circulated widely for many years before any numismatic interest in the series developed. As a result, the 1840 is seldom encountered in Mint State grades today. The coin offered here is the finest-certified example at PCGS, by virtue of its Plus designation (11/21). NGC lists a single coin in MS66 in their Census, but we suspect that citation may also belong to this coin, as it was formerly in an MS66 NGC holder when it sold in a Stack's sale in 2006.

The design of the half eagle was slightly modified by Christian Gobrecht, who became Chief Engraver at the United States Mint in 1840, after the death of William Kneass. The mintmark was moved to the reverse on branch mint coins in 1840, and the bust truncation shows much less curvature, since it no longer had to accommodate the mintmark above the date. The hair bun is slightly closer to star 10 and the bust point is closer to star 13, as well. Two varieties are known, one with a wider rim (Broad Mill) and the other, more available variety, with a narrow rim (Narrow Mill). This coin represents the Narrow Mill variety.

The 1840 Liberty half eagle began appearing at auction at least as early as lot 206 of the A.C. Kline Sale (Moses Thomas & Sons, 6/1855), where a tersely described specimen realized $5.12, not bad for a coin that was only 15 years old at the time. The present coin set the auction prices realized record for the issue, when it sold for $44,850 in 2006. By the early 20th century, catalogers began noticing the two different varieties, and William Woodin displayed an example of both at the 1914 ANS Exhibition.

This impeccably preserved Plus-graded Gem is extremely lustrous with an attractive yellow-gold color along with touches of orange patina in the protected areas. The strike is sharp and fully brought up save for the lower left star centers which are just a trifle weak. A short hairline blemish angles down from star 3 and a mint made die crack on the reverse runs from the border near 11 o'clock to the left tip of the eagle's shield. An extremely flashy and technically superior No Motto half eagle that is sure to inspire interest among collectors of top quality Liberty gold. This coin is pictured on PCGS CoinFacts. Population: 2 in 65 (1 in 65+), 0 finer. CAC: 1 in 65, 0 finer (10/21).
Ex: Denver ANA Convention Auction (Bowers and Merena, 8/2006), lot 4204, as MS66 NGC.(Registry values: P5)

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 25SA, PCGS# 8194, Greysheet# 8884)

Weight: 8.36 grams

Metal: 90% Gold, 10% Copper

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