1839-D $2.50 MS(PCGS#7700)

Spring 2026 Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

3113

Grade

AU55

Price

18,600

Lot Description

A visually appealing, uncommonly high grade survivor of this historic Southern gold issue. Vivid orange-honey surfaces display subtle olive undertones. The texture is hard and frosty with appreciable semi-reflectivity in the fields. Well struck for the issue, and bold in most areas, with only wispy handling marks that do not distract during in-hand viewing.<p>1839 was the first year of coinage for quarter eagles at the Dahlonega Mint, the final year of quarter eagle coinage of the design type, and the second of just two years with an obverse mintmark position (the first year, 1838, saw branch mint coinage from only the Charlotte facility). In 1840, Christian Gobrecht's Liberty Head design replaced William Kneass' short-lived Classic Head motif of 1834 to 1839, and the mintmark position was moved to the reverse die.<p>The 1839-D has a modest mintage of 13,674 pieces. The foremost experts in this series agree on the number of coins extant, with Doug Winter (<em>Gold Coins of the Dahlonega Mint: 1838-1861</em>, 2023 edition) estimating 225 to 275 and Daryl J. Haynor (<em>United States Classic Gold Coins of 1834-1839</em>, 2020) stating a more precise and conservative 225. The former author ranks the 1839-D as the 14th rarest of 20 Dahlonega Mint quarter eagle issues. Haynor ranks the 1839-D as the third rarest Classic Head quarter eagle after the 1838-C and 1839. "Compared to the other dates," the author states, "the 1839-D is more proportionally found in the lower grades of Fine and Extremely Fine." It is particularly noteworthy, therefore, that our consignor acquired this impressive Choice AU coin to represent the 1839-D.