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Images courtesy of Ira
& Larry Goldberg Coins & Collectibles, Inc.
Notes:
In 1844, the U.S. Branch Mint in
the sleepy town of Dahlonega, Georgia produced 17,322 Quarter Eagles
($2.50 gold pieces). While this is a relatively high mintage for a
Quarter Eagle issued at Dahlonega, the 1844-D remains a scarce coin.
Most of the known examples are circulated, although the grades are
distributed fairly equally and collectors have several examples to choose
from at each grade level. Uncirculated examples are rare and most of
them fall in the MS-61 to MS-62 range. Though some examples of this
date exhibit a strong strike, only one or two examples exist that can
truly be called "Choice Uncirculated."
The finest examples graded by PCGS
are 2 MS-63's.
Significant examples:
NGC MS-63. Abe Kosoff's
"Melish" sale, April 1956, Lot 1164 - David Akers' "John
Jay Pittman" collection, Part II, May 1998, Lot 1748 - private
collection.
NGC MS-63. Bowers and
Merena 5/98, Lot 1019.
PCGS
MS-62. Stack's session of "Auction '84", Lot 1312 -
Arthur Montgomery collection - Duke's Creek collection of Southern Gold.
NGC MS-62 (illustrated
below). Ex -
Superior, March 1978 - Bowers and Merena Galleries sale of the Harry W.
Bass, Jr. collection, Part III, May 25-26, 2000, Lot 122,
"PCGS MS-61...Winter-5G", sold for $12,075.00 - Mid-American Rare Coin Galleries,
upgraded to NGC MS-62, offered in
September 2000 for $13,500.00 and again at the October 2001 Long Beach
Show
NGC MS-61 (illustrated
above). Ex - Ira & Larry Goldberg Coins & Collectibles,
Inc.'s "The California Sale", October 2-3, 2000, Lot 671, sold
for $7,187.00, where
it was described (in part) as follows: "Examination finds minor
hairlines, but no other problems or significant contact marks to account
for the rather average grade. 17,332 were struck, most of which circulated
into lower grades, were lost or remelted into new coinage. A truly
special feature of this coin is the very sharp strike, every detail is
full and complete on both the obverse and reverse. As noted specialist
Doug Winter stated, only about 15% to 20% of all pieces are sharply
struck, when combined with a coin still in mint state, then you have
something special indeed. Furthermore, the obverse die shows clash marks
from the eagle's wings extending from either side of Liberty's neck, and
even sharper clash marks on the reverse from the head of Liberty. At the
junction of the right wing of the eagle and his neck, the clash marks are
extremely sharp, the sharpest we have seen on any quarter eagle. In the
July 2000 NGC Population Report we note 4 graded in this grade, with 7
graded higher. From the description in the H. W. Bass II sale, lot
367, this coin is possibly the same, or its identical mate (strike, grade
and appearance) but we couldn't be certain from the photograph in that
sale. Whatever the source, this coin stands alone as one of the most
desirable, well struck coins of this date we have cataloged."
Recent appearances:
PCGS MS-62. Chestatee
collection - Heritage Numismatic Auction, Inc.'s "Chicago ANA
'99" Sale, August 11-13, 1999, Lot 7642, (PCGS #5549747), sold for $11,212.50
PCGS MS-62. Sotheby's
7/97:188 - Hancock and Harwell inventory.
PCGS MS-62. North
Georgia collection - Heritage 1999 FUN, Lot 7635, sold for $17,250.00
PCGS MS-62. Stanley
Kesselman, February 1, 1972 - Auctions by Bowers & Merena, Inc.'s sale
of the Harry W. Bass, Jr. collection, Part II, October 2-4, 1999, Lot 366,
sold for $17,250.00
PCGS MS-62. Ex - Superior Stamp & Coin, February 1975, Lot 1044
- Bowers and Merena Galleries, "The Harry W.
Bass, Jr. Collection, Part IV Sale", November 20-21, 2000, Lot
150, illustrated, sold for $11,500.00
NGC MS-61. Ex - Superior Galleries "Pre-Long Beach" Elite
Coin Auction, May 25-27, 2003, Lot 3579, sold for $6,900.00
PCGS MS-61. Joseph
Flynn, February 28, 1973 - Auctions by Bowers & Merena, Inc.'s sale of
the Harry W. Bass, Jr. collection, Part II, October 2-4, 1999, Lot 367,
sold for $10,925.00
NGC AU-58 (illustrated
below). Ex - Ira & Larry Goldberg Coins & Collectibles,
Inc.'s "The California Sale", October 2-3, 2000, Lot 672, sold
for $4,140.00
PCGS AU-55. Ex - Bowers & Merena Galleries' "The Lake
Geneva Sale", June 28-29, 2001, Lot 1202, illustrated, sold for
$1,955.00
NGC AU-53. Ex - Bowers & Merena Galleries' "The Rarities
Sale", January 3, 2001, Lot 439, illustrated, sold for $1,725.00
AU-50. Ex - Bowers and Merena Galleries, "The Harry W. Bass,
Jr. Collection, Part IV Sale", November 20-21, 2000, Lot 151,
illustrated, sold for $1,955.00 From
Paramount's sale of November 1971, Lot 997
EF-40. Ex - Heritage Numismatic Auctions, Inc.'s "Long
Beach Signature Sale", May 31-June 2, 2001, Lot 5968, not
illustrated, sold for $805.00
VF-30. Ex - Heritage Numismatic Auctions, Inc.'s "Long
Beach Signature Sale", May 31-June 2, 2001, Lot 5967, not
illustrated, sold for $649.75 From the Clyde Godfrey Collection
Sources and/or
recommended reading:
"Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial
Coins" by Walter Breen
"The PCGS Population
Report, April 2004" by The
Professional Coin Grading Service
Catalog description of Lot
7642 in Heritage
Numismatic Auction, Inc.'s "Chicago ANA '99" Sale, August
11-13, 1999
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