Lot 2157
1850-D $2.50 Liberty. NGC graded MS-61. Nice golden toning. A spectacular coin to accompany the 1850-C in this high grade, and a similarly pleasing example of Southern branch mint preservation. Bright gold color erupts from original surfaces untouched by tarnish and bathed in warm orange hues. A strong strike as well, with appreciably more detail visible than on the C-mint strike of this year, making this an advantageous coin for the focused collector. Pop 16; 1 finer in 63.
Some will argue that the two Southern branches of the main mint, those at Dahlonega, Georgia and Charlotte, North Carolina, were cheated out of high-grade minting equipment. They point to the often weak or uneven strikes as the reason. However, mint records from the time contradict this assertion. Both mints received the latest equipment and tools to do their job. Mint Director Peale provided on-site instruction in setting up the facilities. The major difficult facing both was a lack of talented workmen to operate the equipment, since they had to draw their staff from the regions nearby, typically small towns or rural settings where there were few experienced men and women who could run a complex operation like a federal mint. Only 12,148 coins minted. Pop 16; 1 finer in 63. (PCGS # 7757) .
Estimated Value $12,000 - 14,000.
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