Lot 1476
1840-D $2.50 Liberty. PCGS graded AU-50. Only 3,532 struck. Lightly toned with interesting die breaks on both sides. Even with the aforementioned obverse and reverse cracks, this piece is actually rather well struck for an often problematic issue. The hair on the obverse is a touch soft above ERTY and the stars have flatness at the centers, as always seen. The reverse is comparable, with a few sharp areas but also some marginal softness on the neck feathers and wings. Pop 10; 3 in 53, 1 in 55, 2 in 58, 1 in 61 (PCGS # 7719) .
On the reverse the D mintmark is deeply embedded in the bottom of the arrow feather; this is the only die known for 1840-D coinage. The reverse die is bisected twice by die breaks, and is about as shattered a die as we have ever seen in the quarter eagle series. One crack extends from the left border through the left side of N (UNITED), through the leaves, eagle, and into the central motif. Related to this crack, but not necessarily an extension of it, is another crack from the upper right of the shield extending through the juncture of AM (AMERICA) to the border. Still another break, this one probably bisecting to begin with, begins at the top border, extends through the second T (STATES), the eagle's head, body, down through the eagle, the left side of the mintmark, to the border.
Estimated Value $9,500 - 10,500.
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| Realized $8,913 |
