1861-C $5 MS(PCGS#8289)

Spring 2026 Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

3138

Grade

MS63

Price

408,000

Lot Description

Die State II. Offered is the undisputed finest known example of this rare and conditionally challenged Southern gold issue. A beautiful Select Mint State coin, the surfaces are wonderfully original in warm honey-rose color. Direct lighting calls forth subtle powder blue undertones that are more pronounced on the reverse. Lustrous and frosty, hints of semi-reflectivity are evident in the fields and further enhance the eye appeal. Sharply struck and crisp, the detail is outstanding in a half eagle from the challenging Charlotte Mint series. None of the wispy handling marks are worthy of individual attention, leaving it to tiny planchet voids (as made) at the bridge of Liberty's nose and in the reverse field below and before the eagle's beak to serve as identifiers for provenance purposes.<p>The Charlotte Mint half eagle series passed into history in 1861 with a mintage of just 6,879 pieces. Of this total, 887 pieces are believed to have been struck in May of that year under the authority of the Confederate States of America. A middle die state example, the present coin was likely struck while the facility remained under Federal control, although there is no way of knowing for sure. The 1861-C is the eighth rarest of 24 dates in the Charlotte Mint half eagle series, there being only 200 or so coins extant in all grades. That offered here is legendary among specialists in pre-Civil War era Southern gold coinage, a CC#1 rarity and beautiful specimen that is eagerly awaiting inclusion in another world-class cabinet.