Lot 2271
1840-D $5 Liberty. Tall D. PCGS graded AU-55. Nice and bold. Golden-orange color. A worthwhile coin by any standard, the luster is not in the least timid or yielding, while pale golden orange and other toning hues blossom on both sides. The strike, like the luster, is confident, indeed, as bold as ever seen on virtually any date in the Dahlonega mint half eagle subset. The 1840-D half eagle is an interesting one, with several varieties for which the collector can be on the lookout. Two pairs of half eagle dies for 1840 were received at the branch mint, probably on February 18, according to the late Clair Birdsall, a researcher into the subject. The 1840-D half eagle mintage was struck in eleven separate runs throughout the year, with mintage of 22,896 pieces.
The date is considered to be a scare issue, with around a hundred pieces known, but possibly as few as 25 or 30 in grades above Extremely Fine, according to author Doug Winter. Winter identified two die varieties, although it is possible that others exist: Variety 3-B that has a medium-sized (here referred to as "Tall") D mintmark, the right edge of which extends to the upright of the E in FIVE. This variety also has a significant obverse die defect, extending out from the denticles toward the thirteenth star. Pop 7; 9 finer; 4 in 58; 3 in 61; 2 in 62. (PCGS # 8198) .
Estimated Value $6,000 - 6,500.
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| Realized $7,763 |
