Lot 1980
1844-C $5 Liberty. NGC graded MS-63. Well struck with lovely rich golden toning. Nice mint luster evident. Frosty yellow gold with plenty of brilliance and luster present. Well struck (from lightly clashed dies) for the date, essentially sharp in nearly all areas. An incredible rarity in Mint State, and easily one of the finest examples of the date extant. As David Akers noted regarding this date and mint: "Specimens in AU or Uncirculated are almost unobtainable." He continued by noting that the finest he had ever seen was the Bareford coin. NGC #1874139-008.
(On the reverse, a small die crack runs from the rim at 10:00 to the tip of the eagle's wing. Another crack, this more prominent, begins at the rim over the first A in AMERICA, horizontally crossing the field and the eagle's wing, ending at a central point on the eagle's neck.) 23,631 coins minted. Pop 2; none finer.
One of the significant events in the history of the Charlotte Mint occurred early on the morning of Saturday, July 27, 1844. Superintendent Green W. Caldwell had been ill the Friday before and was not present when a fire was discovered. Small and contained to a single room, the fire might easily have been extinguished by the reservoir of water used to supply the boilers, but no one took the initiative to do this. Nearly the entire structure was destroyed and much of the machinery damaged. Fortunately, the mint's bullion supply had been removed for safekeeping to the Branch Bank of the State of North Carolina, and the treasurer's account books had been spared destruction.
There were many recriminations following this costly fire, though no satisfactory explanation for its cause was ever proved. Superintendent Caldwell maintained that his quarters had been robbed and that the fire was set by the thief to cover his tracks. A servant named Calvin was briefly held as the suspected thief, but he was later released.
Estimated Value $29,000 - 32,000.
Ex:Ashland City.
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