Lot 1794
1851-C $2.50 Liberty. NGC graded MS-61. A hint of light orange toning. 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. 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 lovely 1851-C is a prime example. A connoisseur's dream come true!
Walter Breen, an authority on the series, reported that of three pairs of dies made available for the coinage this year, just one pair is 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 8; 2 finer in 62.
Estimated Value $13,000 - 15,000.
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