The half
eagles struck in Dahlonega in 1839 represent a very significant and popular
issue from that Georgia mint. Our June 2017 Official Auction of the Whitman
Coin & Collectibles Expo in Baltimore will feature a delightful AU-58 1839-D half
eagle that is among the finest survivors known.
1839
was the second year of production for the Dahlonega facility, but the first
year that both quarter eagles and half eagles were struck. Liberty’s portrait
on the 1839-D half eagle is considerably different than that used the following
year and throughout the rest of the Liberty Head series. It exhibits deep
curvature to the neck truncation and significant distance between the back of
the portrait and star 13. Similarly, it is the only Dahlonega issue with the
mintmark on the obverse above the date, as this feature was moved to the
reverse below the eagle starting in 1840.
Though
production at Dahlonega would peak near 100,000 half eagles for some dates in
the 1840s and 1850s, just 18,939 half eagles were stuck in 1839. From this mintage,
only 125 to 150 are thought to remain for today’s collectors, with the majority
in Extremely Fine preservation or lower. Specialist Doug Winter notes in his
2003 reference that AU-50 examples are “quite rare,” and that survivors are
“very rare in the higher About Uncirculated grades.”
Indeed,
Choice AU pieces like the one offered in our June auction are remarkably
elusive. PCGS has certified only six other examples at the current grade, with
just seven pieces finer; the highest graded is MS-62. This coin ranks among the
most handsomely preserved examples of this issue and certainly approaches the lower
end of the Condition Census.
The
surfaces are generously lustrous and frosty throughout, with just the slightest
traces of friction across the most exposed regions. Uniform golden tones
complement the exceptional preservation, delivering gorgeous eye appeal.
This
important 1839-D half eagle will be featured in our June 2017 Official Auction
of the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Expo in Baltimore. To secure your copy
of the catalog for this event or to consign to a future auction, contact our offices
at 1-800-458-4646 or email info@StacksBowers.com.
