Lot 1506
1858-C $2.50 Liberty. NGC graded MS-61. A hint of light gold toning with lustre still visable. Only 9,056 coins struck. Well struck for this usually well featured date. A satiny matte-like specimen with resilient underlying luster and lovely surfaces. From center to periphery, the coin is generally well struck with just a hint of soft design in the area around the shield. Sometimes collectors expect an early branch mint coin of the 1850s to be like clay in the palms of the press operators who manufacture such coins, turning out one perfect specimen after the next. But it was a difficult task to generate consistent quality in the atmosphere of a hardworking mint establishment. The main problem facing Charlotte (and also Dahlonega) was a shortage of talented labor that had to be drawn from the rural surroundings in which these mints were built. The mint's equipment was up to the task, don't think it wasn't. When these two branches were erected in 1835-38, they were equipped with all the latest equipment. But it takes more than machinery to tweak and fine tune a minting press. We should be thankful that a few really attractive, frosty Mint State pieces like this 1858-C quarter eagle are around and can be acquired today. Pop 16; 12 finer, 11 in 62, 1 in 63 (PCGS # 7787) .
Estimated Value $8,000 - 8,500.
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