Half Eagle -> 1844-C

Vitae

  • Half Eagle 1838 - 1861
  • Liberty Head 1839 - 1861
  • Diameter: 22.5 millimeters
  • Fineness: .900
  • Weight: 129 grains
  • Designer: Christian Gobrecht
  • Edge: Reeded
  • Coiner: John R. Bolton

The 1844-C can be regarded as a first-year-of-issue type coin as it is the first Charlotte half eagle to employ a large letters reverse. It is a much rarer date than its mintage would suggest. This is primarily due to the fact that the mint was closed in 1845 after a fire, placing added commercial pressures on these coins in the local economy. The quality of strike varies. There are some well struck examples while others are weak at the centers. The surfaces invariably display clusters of deep marks and any piece with smooth surfaces is very rare. It is also extremely hard to find an example with natural color and original mint luster. Of the 75-85 which exist, close to 80% grade Extremely Fine or below. There are around ten known in About Uncirculated plus another five or six in Mint State.

Condition Census

  1. Charlotte Mint Museum collection. Mint State-63 or better. An outstanding quality coin.
  2. National Gold Exchange inventory, acquired October, 1997 from Delaware Valley Rare Coin Co. PCGS graded Mint State-63. First offered for sale in the latter firm's 7/28/97 Coin World advertisement for $69,500.
  3. Private collection, ex Stack's Bareford collection (12/78): 166. Mint State-63 or thereabouts. This coin may possibly be superior to coin #2 but I have never seen it.
  4. Paul Dingler collection, ex Winthrop Carner, graded MS-62 by PCGS. The coin illustrated on this web site.
  5. (tie) Private collection, ex Doug Winter/Lee Minshull, Stack's 5/95: 455, Ed Milas collection, graded MS-61 by NGC (and) Lee Minshull/Casey Noxon inventory, acquired 10/96, also graded MS-61 by NGC.