1839 $2.50 HM-1 MS(PCGS#764793)

The Summer 2022 Global Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

5019

等级

MS62

价格

198,567

详细说明

Vivid Semi-Prooflike 1839 Quarter Eagle Underrated Condition Rarity 1839 Classic Head Quarter Eagle. HM-1, the only known dies. Rarity-4. MS-62 (PCGS). Die Variety:HM-1. Obverse 1: The only use of this die in the Philadelphia Mint Classic Head quarter eagle series. The digit 9 in the date came from a defective punch with an abnormal bulb. The digit 8 is repunched. Reverse F: There is a weak, detached tongue in the eagle's mouth and small, split berry at the end of a branch stem that varies from strong to weak depending on die state. The letter D in UNITED is slightly lower than the adjacent E. The 1839 HM-1 represents the fourth and final use of Reverse F in this series, which appears earlier in the 1836 HM-1 and HM-8 and the extremely rare 1837 HM-2 pairings. Die Emission Sequence: Only a single die pairing is known for this issue, which accounts for the Philadelphia Mint's entire reported quarter eagle mintage for calendar year 1839. Die State: The obverse is in an early die state with no evidence of clashing from the horizontal shield stripes within Liberty's ear. The late, repolished state of the reverse die was inherited from the 1837 HM-2 marriage. The eagle's tongue is severely attenuated and the berry is no longer attached to the branch now that its stem has been effaced. Estimated Surviving Population for the Variety: 150 coins in all grades (per Daryl J. Haynor, 2020), or 100% of extant 1839 Classic Head quarter eagles, as this is the only known die marriage of the issue. Strike: Virtually full, the strike has imparted crisp detail to most design features that is particularly impressive throughout Liberty's hair and the eagle's plumage. The only mentionable softness -- and it is extremely minor -- is confined to stars 6 through 9 along the upper obverse border, all of which still posses partial radial lines. Surfaces: An exceptionally vivid example, with both sides exhibiting dominant deep orange color with intermingled light honey and pale red. The finish is noticeably semi-prooflike with modest reflectivity in the fields. Plenty of mint frost is also evident. Both sides have generally light, wispy handling marks appropriate to the PCGS grade. A disturbance in the lower right obverse field inside stars 11 to 13 is useful for provenance purposes. Commentary: An extremely underrated issue in Uncirculated preservation, even despite the small mintage. PCGS reports only eight grading events for the 1839 in all Mint State grades. The NGC Census at this level is greater at 16, although we are more wary of resubmissions at that service than at PCGS. Tied for finest certified at PCGS, this premium quality MS-62 is ranked CC#2 in Daryl J. Haynor's 2020 listing behind the Gaston DiBello-Bass specimen that may now reside in an NGC MS-63 holder. It is the finest 1839 quarter eagle that we have offered in recent memory and represents a significant opportunity for the specialists in Classic Head gold coinage. Provenance: From the Daryl J. Haynor Virginian Collection. Earlier from Superior's sale of the Margene Heathgate Collection, June 1997, lot 1398; Heritage's August 2013 Rosemont Signature Auction, lot 5809. The plate coin for the 1839 quarter eagle issue in the 2020 Haynor reference on Classic Gold coinage. PCGS Population: 3; 0 finer. PCGS# 764793. NGC ID: 25G3. Click here for certification details from PCGS. Image with the PCGS TrueView logo is obtained from and is subject to a license agreement with Collectors Universe, Inc. and its divisions PCGS and PSA. Click here to see Coins in Motion.[“Coins]