Lot 1202
1851-C $2.50 Liberty. NGC graded MS-61. Light yellow-gold luster without toning and spot-free. A crisp strike. Slightly Prooflike obverse. One of the very few Mint States reported. In the overall landscape of Charlotte and Dahlonega Mint gold rarities, par for the course is apt to be Very Fine or the occasional Extremely Fine piece. When truly great collections are formed, then About Uncirculated examples come onto the market, plus the very occasional Mint State. We note a few light scuffs in the face around the eye while the reverse is appreciably frostier than the obverse. With this sale we are pleased to observe that all conventional "standards" are thrown out the window since pieces representing several decades of connoisseurship are being brought to the market. This attractive 1851-C is a leading example. A collector's dream come true!
Walter Breen, an authority on the series, reported that of three pairs of dies were made available for the coinage this year, with but one pair known to have been used. The date logotype is lightly impressed into die and placed far left, with tip of 1 overlapping the neck truncation. The reverse has the C mintmark high and overlapping the claw (mintmarks were added to the dies after the main device was completed). A feather vein touches lower right of C, below the opening, indicating a particularly high position. Only 14,923 coins minted. Pop 10; 3 in 62. In a new NGC 4 pronged holder (PCGS # 7760) .
Estimated Value $7,500 - 8,000.
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| Realized $7,475 |
