Old Green Label Holder. By today’s standards I think this coin is right in the middle of the “line” between an AU55 and an AU58. The 1854-S is the first gold dollar struck at the new San Francisco mint and this makes it a very significant coin from a numismatic perspective. This lustrous example is sharply struck and very lustrous. It shows some minor areas of mint-made roughness on both the obverse and reverse which is understandable when one considers that this is the San Francisco mint’s first attempt at striking the challenging Type One design. A small mark on the face appears to be the result of contact from another coin many years ago. It is not easy to find this date in the higher AU grades with good eye appeal and this is a nice coin for the date and grade. In my opinion, a very underrvalued issue, given its historic importance.

This is as original an example of this popular Type Three issue as you are likely to find with deep, natural green-gold and reddish colors atop clean surfaces. The strike is well above average for the issue with strong lettering, a sharp date and a full mintmark. While actually fairly available by the standards of Dahloenga gold dollars of this era, the 1858-D is not easy to locate with original surfaces and this piece is really exceptional from the standpoint of appearance. It would be hard to find a better example at this price point and this coin is just perfect for a new collector who is getting started with a Dahlonega type set.

Old Green Label holder. By today’s standards, I grade this coin a solid AU58. While showing a typical strike with some weakness at this center, there is little else that is “typical” about this coin. It shows attractive deep, even green-gold color on the obverse and reverse with a good deal of underlying luster. Some dirt can be seen within the lettering on the obverse and the surfaces are very clean with no major abrasions or mint-made defects notable to the naked eye. While probably the most available Dahlonega gold dollar of the Type Three design, it is never easy to locte an affordable example of this date with original surfaces and good overall eye appeal.

A total of 207 were Proof gold dollars were minted in 1883. Based on the PCGS and NGC population data, I’d guess that as few as 50-60 are known with most of these in the PR64 to PR66 range. This example has incredible eye appeal for the grade with the naked eye appearance of a coin that grades at least a point or two higher. There is a small mint-made lintmark right at the tip of the bust that NGC must have felt limited the grade but there are a virtual absence of hairlines or friction on the cheek that you typically see on Proof coins of this era graded 64. In my opinion, a coin like this is simply outstanding value as it is one of the few legitimately scarce pieces of Proof gold you can buy in this price range that is not terribly impaired or relatively common. This is the only 1883 gold dollar in PR64 to have been approved by CAC; three finer examples have been approved as well.

The 1843 is an enigmatic date in the early Liberty Head quarter eagle series. It has a high mintage figure of 100,546 but it is comparable in rarity to dates such as the 1846 and 1847 which were struck in much lower quantities. The 1843 is a very scarce issue in Uncirculated but, like so many of the quarter eagles from the 1840′s, it is undervalued. This butter-yellow example is fully struck and shows nice luster. There is an area of friction in the left obverse field that limits the grade but the overall appearance is veery nice for an MS62. The last NGC MS62 example to sell at auction was Heritage 2/11: 4331 that brought $3,594; the present example is clearly superior in my opinion.

Large Date variety. The rarer of the two varieties of quarter eagle produced at the New Orleans mint during this year, the 1843-O Large Date is the second scarcest issue in the series after the 1845-O and the third scarcest in Uncirculated after the 1845-O and the 1842-O. This fresh, wholesome example has great color with a rich natural yellow-gold hue visible on both the obverse and reverse. It is likely that this piece never actually entered circulation but it does have some abrasions scattered in the fields and on the neck and lower cheek of Liberty. The NGC population figures for this date in AU58 is much inflated by regrades and it is likely that no more than seven to eight exist which are as nice as this lustrous “slider.”