This is both a beautiful coin and a condition rarity to boot. There may be as many as 200 1844-C quarter eagles known from the original mintage of 11,622 but most grade VF to EF. In About Uncirculated, the 1844-C is rare and it is extremely rare in properly graded Uncirculated with just four to six known to me. The best I am aware of is Bass II: 365 (graded MS63 by PCGS) while the Dingler/Eliasberg coin (graded MS62 by PCGS) is the second best. The present example is listed in my most recent Condition Census as the fifth finest and it is clearly better than the other PCGS MS61 (ex Heritage 1/06: 3471) that brought $16,100 just a few years ago. This piece is characterized by superb deep reddish-gold and orange colors on the obverse and reverse. The strike is far, far above average for the issue with remarkably strong details at the centers and the surfaces are clean and very frosty. This piece has an overall “freshness” almost never seen on a Charlotte quarter eagle, let alone a date as rare as the 1844-C. This is among the more important quarter eagles that I’ve offered in some time and it is destined to reside in an exemplary specialized collection.